A 35-year-old temple helper was beaten to death at Delhi’s Kalkaji temple on Friday night after an argument over prasad (religious offering). Police have arrested five men in connection with the crime.
The victim, Yogendra Singh, was from Fattepur village in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh and had worked at the temple for nearly 15 years. Police said a group of men demanded chunni prasad, a headscarf and blessed food, when they visited the temple. Singh told them that it was no longer available, leading to an argument.
According to police, the men left but returned later after the temple had closed. They confronted Singh at the dharamshala, dragged him outside, and assaulted him with sticks. CCTV footage shows Singh lying on the ground as he was brutally beaten.
Singh was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre but succumbed to his injuries. A murder case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
One of the accused, Atul Pandey (30), was caught at the scene by locals. His relative Nitin Pandey (26) and Nitin’s father Anil Kumar (55) were arrested the next day. Police said Anil Kumar tried to help his son evade arrest. Two others, Mohan (19) and Kuldeep Bidhuri (20), were also detained.
Investigators said the accused admitted they held a grudge against Singh, claiming he had pushed them while managing crowds at the temple a month earlier.
Siddharth Bhardwaj, general secretary of the Kalkaji Temple, called the killing “heartbreaking” and demanded quick justice.
Political leaders also reacted sharply. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the murder showed the “failure of law and order” under the BJP government. Atishi, Aam Aadmi Party leader and MLA from Kalkaji, wrote to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, saying: “The capital has turned into the capital of crime, extortion and gang wars under BJP rule.”
