NEW DELHI: A 35-year-old sewadar was on Friday brutally beaten to death with sticks by a group of men inside the premises of southeast Delhi's Kalkaji Temple following a dispute over the distribution of chunni prasad.
Police have arrested five people so far, including the father of one of the men for harbouring him.
The victim,
Yogendra Singh, hailed from Fattepur in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi district, where he used to work as a farmer. He visited Delhi every few months, serving at the temple for the past 15 years.
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'They came with iron rods, sticks': How a request to wait for prasad ended in fatal assault at Delhi Kalkaji temple Investigation revealed the group had an argument with temple staff, including Singh, over the same issue just days earlier. On Friday, police received a PCR call around 9.30pm about a quarrel at the temple.
Farmer In Village, Sewadar In Delhi: Singh Handled 2 Jobs To Help Family To support his family and fund the treatment of his six-year-old differently-abled daughter, Yogendra Singh balanced two jobs, working as a farmer in his native village in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi district and as a sewadar at Kalkaji Temple in Delhi.
Every few months, he would travel to the city to serve at the temple and earn some money before returning home to tend to his wheat and bajra crops.
On Saturday morning, Singh's elder brother, Kaushal Singh, stood tearfully outside the AIIMS Trauma Centre, waiting to collect the body. He recalled how Yogendra worked relentlessly and without complaining driven by the single goal of securing a better future for his children. His daughter, who has problems performing basic tasks with her arm and leg, has been undergoing treatment for over a year, costing the family over Rs 1.5 lakh.
Yogendra, the youngest of three brothers, last met his wife, mother and two children when he left home two months ago. "I don't know how to tell his wife that he is no more; she still thinks he is undergoing treatment," said Kaushal, who also works as a sewadar. The brothers last met last week. "I was going to Puri in Odisha for work and he asked me to travel safely and take care of myself. He was such a simple man, who never hurt anyone and only ever cared for others," he said.
Eyewitnesses to the horrible attack on Yogendra at the temple described the scene as "complete chaos", with the attackers using sticks to brutally assault the victim while cursing at him. Brijesh Kumar Singh, 87, said, "It was around the usual aarti timing and it was raining a little. I remember running away in fear when I saw a large group barge in and beat up a man that I have been seeing around for years."
Speaking to the media, Raju, another sewadar at the temple, said, "Yogendra was pulled out from the temple dharmshala around 9pm. The mob had iron rods and sticks in their hands and beat him to death." Another 21-year-old sewadar, who was a close friend of Yogendra for over a decade, was filled with fear and anxiety: "We get into minor arguments with devotees all the time but such issues can be resolved with conversation. It is awful that a person that I considered family had to lose his life over
Khushi Bhuta is a reporter based in New Delhi. She has prior repo...
Read MoreKhushi Bhuta is a reporter based in New Delhi. She has prior reporting experience in her hometown Mumbai along with Chennai and Pune. She focuses closely on urban ground realities, particularly issues around crime and public safety. Her work revolves around lived experiences and the everyday impact of city systems.
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