Kanpur (UP), March 10 A priest, who was attacked after a photograph purportedly showing him eating non-vegetarian food went viral, has been removed from his duties at the temple by his father, the "mahant," while his whereabouts are unknown, officials said on Tuesday.
Santosh Giri, the chief priest of the Baba Shri Bhuteshwar Dham Temple in Keshavpuram, said the person in the viral photograph is his son, Prashant Giri, also known as Golu Pandit.
"I am the mahant of the temple, not my son. As soon as I came to know that he had eaten non-vegetarian food, I removed him from his duties at the temple," Santosh Giri told reporters.
He alleged that a group of people accompanying a religious procession attacked his son at the temple. "Some people, including Rahul Chandel, Manish Chaudhary, and Ajay Chauhan, along with a few others, beat up my son and told him that he could not stay here," he said.
"When my wife and daughter-in-law tried to help him, they were also attacked," he added.
Giri said he has not been able to contact his son since the police initiated preventive action against him. "I do not know where my son is now. I am very worried and leaving everything to Baba Bhuteshwar (Lord Shiva)," he said.
The controversy erupted after a photograph allegedly showing Prashant Giri consuming non-vegetarian food went viral on social media, triggering anger among some locals.
According to police, around 50-60 people gathered at the temple on Sunday night and demanded an explanation from the priest. When he hesitated to come out, some members of the crowd allegedly entered the temple premises, dragged him outside, and questioned him about the photograph.
He was allegedly assaulted during the confrontation.
Police later initiated preventive action against Prashant Giri for breach of peace and said the matter is under investigation.
Prashant Giri had been living in a room within the temple premises and performing priestly duties.