Overview
- A 70-year-old trustee, Kailash Modi, was beaten inside the Annapurna temple complex in Indore and later died in hospital after the assault that police say occurred early Tuesday.
- CCTV footage obtained by investigators reportedly shows the watchman, identified as Mukesh Sharma, striking Modi repeatedly with a wooden stick before pursuing him into a nearby Gurudwara.
- Police have taken Sharma into custody, registered a murder case, seized the stick and the video, and had a forensic team examine the scene while recording witness statements.
- Local officials and temple representatives tell police Sharma had a history of drinking and earlier complaints for misconduct on the premises, which investigators are examining as part of motive inquiries.
- The killing has shocked devotees and residents at the more than 150-year-old temple and could prompt stricter oversight of temple staff and faster local police action as the probe and any charging decisions continue.