NEW DELHI: Nine people have been arrested so far in connection with the brutal killing of a 35-year-old sewadar at Kalkaji temple, police said on Monday. Five were arrested earlier, and four more have now been held.
The accused have been identified as Kuldeep Bidhuri (20), Sandeep Bidhuri (33), Monu Kangar (31), Rohit Bidhuri (24), and Mohan Bidhuri alias Bhura (19), all residents of Tughlakabad; Atul Pandey (30) of Dakshinpuri; and Nitin Pandey (27) of Govindpuri.
Anil Kumar (55), father of accused Nitin Pandey, and Babu (40) of Tughlakabad have also been arrested for harbouring the criminals and criminal conspiracy, police said. A few more suspects are still at large and likely to be arrested soon.
The victim, Yogendra Singh, was beaten to death on Friday night after an argument with the accused over distribution of prasad. “Teams are scanning CCTV footage, analysing technical evidence, and questioning several people to trace and arrest the remaining suspects. No one will be spared,” a police officer said.
Sidharth Bhardwaj, Secretary of the Shri Kalkaji Mandir Prabandhak Sudhar Committee, said the safety of devotees, sewadars, and priests was their top priority. The committee announced measures including 24/7 CCTV surveillance, trained security guards, and regular safety drills with police coordination.