11 booked after clash over priest appointment at Samaspur temple

Police said two groups from the same family fought with sticks and bricks; injured were taken to Civil Hospital, FIR filed under BNS sections.

Police on Saturday booked 11 suspects in connection with violence that broke out at a temple in Samaspur village on Friday morning, officers said. A video of the incident was widely circulated on social media, they added.

Incident occurred Friday morning; video surfaced online. Police say no fresh violence reported after deployment at the site. (HT Archive)

According to officers privy to the matter, the clash occurred around 11.15am after two groups belonging to the same family attacked each other with sticks and bricks inside the temple premises. Police said further investigation will determine the cause of the argument and whether any prior complaints were raised over the priest’s recruitment.

A senior police official at the Sector 50 police station, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, said the violence erupted following a heated argument over the appointment of a temple priest. “After the locals alerted the police, an emergency response vehicle (ERV) with adequate police force was immediately dispatched to the temple to restore the peace. Those who led the provocations, including escalators, were booked,” the senior official said, requesting anonymity.

Preliminary investigations revealed that those injured in the incident were admitted to the Civil Hospital in Sector 10A for treatment. “Their statements are being recorded to establish the facts in the case. Arrests will be made soon,” the senior officer added.

Investigators said an FIR was registered under sections 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, 190 for provisions of unlawful assembly, 191 for rioting, 324(4) for mischief and 333 for provisions of trespassing of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police said the identities of the accused have been withheld for security reasons.

Police personnel were deployed at the temple to maintain security following the incident. “No further incidents of violence have since been reported in the vicinity,” the senior officer said.