Scuffle Over Food: Man Beaten to Death Near UP Temple Premises

A CCTV footage of the brawl surfaced where armed men can be seen attacking each other during the fight.

Image used for representational purposes only.

(Photo: Arnica Kala/The Quint)

Praveen Saini, 22, a sewadar at a temple in Muradnagar area in Ghaziabad was beaten to death following a brawl over having dinner near temple premises on the night of 1 July.

Police said, three accused have been arrested.

Police Rubbishes Communal Angle

Some locals in the area tried to give a communal spin to the incident claiming people of different faith were consuming meat near the temple premises.

Ghaziabad police later clarified that the two warring groups involved in the incident belong to the same faith.

"This incident does not involve people from different faith as it being alleged. The video footage makes it clear that the accused were neither having meat nor consuming liquor," an official release from Ghaziabad police read.

What Was the Incident?

Three youth- Nitin Sharma, Akash Sharma and Ashwini Tyagi- all residents of Ghaziabad were having dinner at the steps of Gangnahar ghat (also known as chota haridwar) next to Shani temple in Muradnagar at around 10 pm on the day of incident.

A group of temple sewadars and local shopkeepers objected to people having dinner. The argument soon ensued into a full scale brawl.

A CCTV footage of the brawl has also surfaced where men from both sides, armed with sticks and rods, can be attacking each other during the fight.

Temple priest Mukesh Kumar Goswami claimed he was told that people were having liquor and consuming meat to which one of the sewadar objected.

"No one would have problem with people having dinner. But one of our men spotted the three having meat and consuming liquor to which he objected. The accused grew aggressive during the confrontation and brutally beat up our men. All this has been recorded in the CCTV."

Mukesh Kumar Goswami, Temple Priest

Three members of temple sewadar side - Praveen Saini, Devendra and Vinod sustained critical injury and were rushed to local hospital for medical aid.

Praveen, a resident of Shobhapur area within limits of Kankerkhera police station in Meerut succumbed to his fatal head injury at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.

Case of Culpable Homicide Not Amounting to Murder

Based on the complaint of Praveen's brother, an FIR initially under section 302 (murder) was registered at Muradnagar police station in Ghaziabad. It was later converted into section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

"Nitin, a serving Army personnel, his cousin Akash and their friend Ashwini have been arrested," Iraj Raja, Ghaziabad superintendent of police (rural areas) said.