Temple Sewadar Murdered Over ‘Prasad Delay’ in Delhi’s Kalkaji

Violent Dispute Over Religious Offering Turns Fatal

New Delhi: The victim, identified as Yogendra Singh, was attacked by a group of aggressive visitors after an argument over the distribution of prasad, a sacred offering in Hindu temples.

Dispute Escalates Over Wait for Prasad
The tragedy began when a group of 10-15 individuals demanded ‘chunniprasad’—a religious offering consisting of a headscarf and food—from Singh, a native of Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, who had been serving as a sewadar at the temple for over 15 years. When Singh asked them to wait for a few minutes, the group became enraged. An eyewitness recalled that the group frequently visited the temple with a demanding and confrontational attitude. "Whenever they came, they expected immediate service," the sewadar added.

Around 9 PM, the situation escalated when the visitors, armed with iron rods and sticks, pulled Singh out of the temple’s Dharamshala. What followed was a brutal assault as they began punching and hitting him with sticks. CCTV footage from the scene showed Singh lying on the ground, being struck by at least three attackers.

One Arrested, Search for Remaining Suspects
Despite being rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre, Singh succumbed to his injuries. Delhi police, who were alerted around 9:30 PM, immediately launched an investigation. They arrested one of the accused, 30-year-old Atul Pandey, who was apprehended by locals at the scene and handed over to the authorities. A case has been filed under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (joint liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Kalkaji police station.

Police are now working to identify and arrest the remaining individuals involved in the attack, as the community reels from the senseless violence.