Overview
- CCTV from the Shiva temple on Niwaru Road shows a confrontation that turned violent on Friday, September 25, when neighbours objected to the volume of bhajans and a man knocked the priest to the ground and repeatedly struck him.
- The footage spread on social media and prompted the 63-year-old priest, identified as Pandit Ramkrishna, to file a complaint with Kardhani police the next day.
- Police say they have detained or arrested two members of a neighbouring family, named Harish Chaturvedi and his son Devansh, while the accused family has also registered a cross-complaint and officers are investigating both sides.
- Independent fact-checkers and Kardhani SHO Sawai Singh have publicly refuted viral posts that claimed the assault was retaliation for molestation, saying the dispute was over loud devotional music.
- Local residents and the priest’s relatives protested at the police station and submitted a memorandum seeking strict action, and police have said they will complete a probe before deciding on further charges and steps.