At 7:45 pm on Sunday, a priest named Ramakrishna was punched and kicked inside the Shiva temple on Nivaru Road in Jaipur’s Ganesh Nagar Main. The attackers were Harish Chaturvedi, his son Devansh and Ritu, all residents of the surrounding Kardhani area. CCTV footage shows the trio confronting the elderly cleric while he insisted the bhajans be lowered. The priest’s clothes were ripped as the men pinned him to the floor.
The quarrel began when the men demanded a lower volume for the devotional songs. Ramakrishna tried to negotiate, but the argument escalated into a physical assault. Bystanders rushed in, freeing the priest from the attackers’ grip.
SHO Sawai Singh said the priest filed a complaint at 1 pm, after which the police arrested the accused. He added that a cross‑complaint has also been lodged on behalf of the family of the assailants. The investigation will be carried out under Section 300 of the Indian Penal Code.
Devotees gathered outside the temple, chanting and demanding justice. The priest’s wife, Anju, spoke to reporters, saying, “He has always been a pillar of our community; this violence is unbearable.” Local shopkeepers reported a drop in footfall since the incident. Residents fear a potential rise in religious tensions in the area.
The police will file charges under the IPC and are scheduled to present the case in the Jaipur Municipal Court next month. The priest’s family is awaiting the court hearing, hoping for swift justice.