Case filed against four Delhi devotees at Mahakal temple; councillor questions security

The dispute between security personnel and devotees at Ujjain's Mahakal temple shows no sign of ending. The latest incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday during Bhasma Aarti, when temple security personnel are said to have beaten four devotees who had come from Delhi. The temple committee's Core Security company later got a case registered against the same devotees at Mahakal police station.

The company's ASO, Pawan Sharma, submitted an application at the police station late on Tuesday evening. He told police that during Bhasma Aarti the queue for the moving darshan line had been formed inside Triveni Dwar. Meanwhile, flower and prasad sellers opened the barricade in front of the Annakshetra, and arrangements began to go awry.

According to Sharma, the barricade was being lifted back and closed when some devotees broke the queue and entered, while some others who had come with them stayed outside. Security personnel were trying to persuade the devotees to join the queue when a quarrel broke out. A case was then registered on behalf of the security personnel, accusing Jatin Goyal, Anuj Goyal, Amar Goyal and Satyam of Delhi of assault.

On learning of the incident, BJP councillor Shivendra Tiwari raised questions about the temple's arrangements. He said incidents of assault and quarrels with devotees occur at the Mahakal temple every other day. He said the security guards are so emboldened that they take no one seriously. According to Tiwari, such incidents have been happening continuously in the temple complex for the past two years, damaging the image of the Mahakal temple and Ujjain. Large numbers of devotees visit every day.

Tiwari recalled that a few days ago an incident had also occurred in the temple involving Ravindra Puri Maharaj, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. He alleged that quarrels with devotees have happened before, and that they are later blamed and an FIR is filed against them.

Tiwari urged Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav to take note of these incidents. He said paramilitary forces should be deployed at the temple, as there are many complaints about contract staff. In his words, the Mahakal temple belongs not to any individual, institution, organisation or government and administration, but to the devotees of Lord Mahakal. He said it is everyone's responsibility to ensure devotees are respected and have easy darshan.

The case has been registered on the temple committee's behalf, on the application of the security personnel. The actual cause of the dispute will become clear from the temple's CCTV footage. The complaint says the dispute followed the barricade falling and arrangements breaking down. Handling the barricade was also the responsibility of the temple's security personnel, so why the arrangements were not managed in time is also a subject of the inquiry. Police have asked the temple committee for CCTV footage of the spot and are examining all aspects.