A temple priest in Kanpur was allegedly assaulted by a mob after a photograph purportedly showing him eating non-vegetarian food at a restaurant went viral on social media, triggering outrage among locals. The incident took place late on the night of 9 March at the Bhuteshwar Temple in the Keshavpuram area of Rawatpur, where around 50–60 people gathered, accused the priest of hurting religious sentiments and attacked him as he pleaded for mercy.
The victim, identified as Prashant Giri, also known as Golu Pandit, alleges that the image was digitally manipulated to defame him and that there was a deliberate conspiracy to oust him from the temple. As the most recent development, Prashant has been expelled from his priestly duties by his own father and the temple’s chief priest, Santosh Giri, while police have initiated preventive action against the priest himself for breach of peace and his current whereabouts remain unknown.
Dragged Out, Beaten to the Ground
According to police, the crowd gathered on Sunday night and demanded an explanation from the priest. When he hesitated to come out of his room within the temple premises, some members of the mob allegedly entered the compound, dragged him outside and confronted him about the photograph before assaulting him. Videos circulating on social media show the crowd chasing Prashant as he begged for mercy.
Several women present at the temple attempted to intervene and shield him from the mob, but some members of the crowd allegedly slapped these, women as well while continuing to attack the priest. Witnesses said a few women were around the fallen priest to protect him, but the mob persisted.
Police were alerted through the emergency helpline Dial 112, rushed to the spot, managed to rescue the priest and took him to the police station. Rawatpur SHO Kamlesh Rai confirmed that police have secured the priest and are examining the viral video to identify those involved in the assault.
In his complaint, the injured priest alleged that an old photograph of him taken at a restaurant had been edited to make it appear as though he was eating non-vegetarian food and that the entire episode was part of a conspiracy to remove him from the temple.
Father Expels Son; Family Members Were Also Attacked
Santosh Giri, the chief priest of Baba Shri Bhuteshwar Dham Temple, confirmed that the person in the viral photograph is his son Prashant. “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,” he told reporters. Santosh Giri alleged that a group of people accompanying a religious procession carried out the assault, naming Rahul Chandel, Manish Chaudhary and Ajay Chauhan as among those involved.
He added that his wife and daughter-in-law were also assaulted when they tried to intervene and protect Prashant. Police subsequently initiated preventive action against Prashant Giri himself for breach of peace and the matter remains under examination. Santosh Giri said he has been unable to reach his son since police took action. “I do not know where my son is now. I am very disturbed and leaving everything to Baba Bhuteshwar,” he told reporters.
The troubling irony of this case is hard to ignore: a man who claims to be a victim of mob violence finds himself simultaneously expelled by his own family and subjected to police preventive action all on the basis of a photograph whose authenticity has not been independently verified.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The events unfolding in Kanpur are a grim reminder of the havoc that unverified social media content can wreak on a person’s life and safety. A single photograph, whose origins and authenticity remain disputed, was enough to summon a mob of 50 to 60 people, reduce a man to a beaten figure on the ground and fracture an entire family. Equally alarming is the fact that the women who stepped forward to defend a fellow human being were themselves met with violence.
No dietary choice real or alleged can justify mob brutality and a society that allows outrage to bypass evidence, reason and basic human decency puts every individual at risk. It is also worth reflecting on the deeply troubling detail that the assault victim is now facing police preventive action, even as the mob members remain at large pending identification. Law enforcement must act swiftly against the perpetrators and those in authority must send an unambiguous message that vigilante violence regardless of its perceived moral justification will not be
tolerated.
Also Read: Air India Introduces Fuel Surcharge On Domestic And International Flights Amid Iran War Fuel Crisis
कानपुर में एक मंदिर के पुजारी को लोगों ने पीटा। लोगों का गुस्सा था कि पुजारी नॉन वेज खाते हैं
— Narendra Nath Mishra (@iamnarendranath) March 9, 2026
pic.twitter.com/5lt5XH495w
