Devotees beaten up at Haridwar's Dakshin Kali temple; video surfaces online

Haridwar: A group of devotees was beaten up with sticks at the Dakshin Kali temple in Haridwar allegedly by a priest and some temple staff members following an argument, police said on Monday.

Although no written complaint has been received so far in connection with the April 14 incident, police are looking into what led to the clash, Shyampur police station SHO Nitesh Sharma said.

A purported video of the clash has surfaced on social media in which some young men were seen being beaten up with sticks on the temple premises by a priest and some members of its staff.

A young priest is also purportedly seen showing a head injury to the temple staff and asking them to beat up the group of young men.

Sources in the police said the devotees were from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

There was an argument between the devotees and the temple staff over the issue of tickets and parking of vehicles which escalated, the sources said.

Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Kailashanand Giri of Niranjani Akhara, who is the head of the temple, could not be immediately reached for a comment on the incident.