Kanpur priest expelled after viral non-veg photo triggers mob assault

A temple priest who was allegedly assaulted by a mob after a photograph purportedly showing him eating non-vegetarian food went viral on social media has been expelled from his duties by his father, the temple’s mahant, while his current whereabouts remain unknown, officials said.

The priest, Prashant Giri alias Golu Pandit , had been serving at the Baba Shri Bhuteshwar Dham Temple in the Keshavpuram area. His father, Santosh Giri , the chief priest and mahant of the temple, confirmed that the person seen in the viral photograph was his son and said he had immediately removed him from temple service after learning about the controversy.

“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 expelled him from service at the temple,” Santosh Giri told reporters.

The controversy erupted after a photograph allegedly showing the priest eating non-vegetarian food at a restaurant circulated widely online, angering some local residents and devotees.

According to police, around 50 to 60 people gathered at the temple late on Sunday night and demanded an explanation from the priest. When he reportedly hesitated to come out, some members of the crowd allegedly entered the temple premises, dragged him outside and confronted him about the photograph.

During the confrontation, he was allegedly beaten by several members of the crowd. Videos circulating on social media reportedly show people chasing and attacking the priest while some women present tried to intervene.

Police later reached the spot and rescued the priest from the mob , taking him to a police station. Authorities said they are examining video footage to identify those involved in the attack.

Police also initiated preventive action for breach of peace against the priest as part of the inquiry.

Prashant Giri, who had been living in a room inside the temple premises , reportedly told police that the viral photograph may have been edited or manipulated and alleged that some people were trying to remove him from the temple.