Gonda (UP) Aug 18 (PTI) The priest of the historical Prithvinath temple in Khargupur Police Station area here was assaulted by at least 14 people who also snatched his money, police said on Thursday.
Seven of the 14 against whom the case of assault and loot was registered have been arrested so far, police said.
Priest Dayashankar, a resident of Narayanpur Khas village, told media that on Wednesday evening a 14 people-strong group, which included women too, attacked him and three other priests inside the temple.
The attackers used abusive words for him and told him to give them whatever money he had received from the offerings or else he would be thrashed badly.
He said that when he refused to give them the money, he was kicked, slapped, dragged around and his clothes were torn.
“When I rushed to my room to save my life, they followed me inside and grabbed my throat and slammed me saying that you will be killed if you do not pay the money,” the priest alleged.
When one of his associates locked his room from outside to save his life, they broke the lock with an iron rod and entered the room again and took whatever items they found, he said.
Seeing the commotion, devotees present in the sanctum sanctorum also ran away, he said.
Station House Officer Kuber Tiwari said that on the complaint of the priest, a case has been registered and the investigation has been handed over to the Sub-Inspector Sahdev Dubey.
Prithvinath temple is one of the main Shiv temples of the country and is protected by the archaeological department.
The temple is located in Pachran Gram Panchayat and is under the control of the district magistrate.
The manager of the temple, SDM Sadar Vinod Kumar Singh, said that as soon as he got information about the incident, he reached the temple and interrogated the people present there.
More than a dozen men and women together attacked the temple for no reason and looted the priest. Police have been directed to take strict action against all as per rules, he said.
The shivling in the temple, made of black criterion stone, is about five feet high and is about two metres in diameter. It is considered to be the largest such in the country.
In view of its antiquity, the temple has been protected by the archeological department. PTI COR SAB VN VN
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