Kanpur, March 9: A priest at the Bhuteshwar Temple in Kanpur’s Rawatpur area was allegedly assaulted by an angry mob on Sunday night after a controversial picture showing him eating non-vegetarian food surfaced on social media. The priest, identified as Prashant Giri, popularly known as Golu Maharaj or Golu Pandit, was reportedly attacked by locals who accused him of violating religious traditions associated with the temple.

The controversy began when a video and photos circulated online allegedly showing Prashant Giri consuming meat at a restaurant in the Indira Nagar area of Kalyanpur. As he serves as the head of the temple’s Aarti Committee and lives within the temple premises, several local devotees viewed the act as disrespectful to the sanctity of the Bhuteshwar Temple. ‘Ashamed of My Dhoti-Kurta and Shikha’: Priest in Bhopal Fulfills Wife’s Dream To Become Police Inspector, She Files for Divorce Citing His Traditional Lifestyle As ‘Embarrassing’.

According to local residents, anger had been building for nearly two days after the video first appeared on social media. When the priest was spotted near the temple premises on Sunday night, tensions escalated quickly and a confrontation broke out.

Mob Attacks Kanpur Priest Prashant Giri After Viral Restaurant Video

Eyewitnesses said a group of men and women surrounded Prashant Giri and allegedly attacked him with sticks and physical force. Videos of the incident were recorded by bystanders and have since been widely shared on social media platforms, further fueling public discussion around the incident. Fatehpur Shocker: Devotees Thrash Priest and His Son Over 2 Extra Laddoos Taken From Prasad at Hanuman Mandir in Khaga; Probe Ordered As Video Goes Viral.

Police Rescue Priest

After receiving information about the disturbance, officers from Rawatpur Police Station reached the spot and intervened. Police managed to rescue the priest from the crowd and shifted him to a safe location. He later received medical treatment for injuries sustained during the scuffle.

Police Begin Investigation

Authorities have launched an investigation into both the viral video and the mob assault. Officials said they are reviewing the footage to identify those involved in the attack and will take legal action accordingly.

Police have also increased patrolling around Bhuteshwar Temple and nearby areas in Rawatpur to prevent further tension and maintain law and order.

“We reached the spot and rescued the priest from the crowd. The matter is being investigated from all angles,” a police official said.

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TruLY Score 3 – Believable; Needs Further Research | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 3 on LatestLY, this article appears believable but may need additional verification. It is based on reporting from news websites or verified journalists (X Account of Journalist Sachin Gupta), but lacks supporting official confirmation. Readers are advised to treat the information as credible but continue to follow up for updates or confirmations

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 09, 2026 01:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).