BHOPAL: In a shocking display of power, Rudraksh Shukla, son of Indore-3 BJP MLA Golu Shukla along with 20 to 30 youngsters pressured the preist to open the closed Goddess Chamunda Devi temple in Dewas on intervening night of April 11-12.
When the priest’s son Updesh Nath, refused to open the gates of the temple despite 'pressure', he was physically assaulted by them.
Boarding MUVs and SUVs (including one vehicle bearing a blinking beacon light), they zipped through the hill to reach the hilltop at 12.40 am, around 40 minutes after the famous Goddess Chamunda Devi temple had been closed for the day.
“As usual, we closed the temple’s entrance at midnight. Around 40 minutes later 8-10 four wheelers boarded by at least 30 men stopped near the temple. They started pressuring me to open the temple entrance for darshan (offering prayers). Angered by my refusal to open the temple’s gate, they first threatened of shooting me and kill by throwing me from the hilltop," Updesh told journalists.
"When I did not open the gates despite threats, one of them Jitu Raghuvanshi and his men started beating and slapping me,” he added.
Notably, it is the priests from the Nath Sampradaya (Sect) -- to which UP CM Yogi Adityanath also belongs -- who perform entire religious rituals at the hilltop temple located in Dewas.
According to circle SP (CSP-Dewas) Disesh Agrawal, “A FIR has been lodged in the matter. The complainant was allegedly beaten by a listed criminal Jitu Raghuvanshi and other men accompanying him, over refusal to open the gates of the temple after its closure after midnight. Based on the complaint the case has been registered against Dewas resident Jitu Raghuvanshi and investigations are underway.”
When asked by journalists, how the motorcade comprising 8-10 four wheelers was allowed by the on-duty cops to zip through to the hilltop, the CSP said, “This is a matter of investigation to which the police are closely examining the footage from 50-60 CCTV cameras installed across the hillock and the temple premises.”
However, when questioned about the presence of Indore-3 BJP MLA’s son there (as seen in the CCTV footage), the CSP remained silent, saying that the entire matter was under investigation.
The Congress has demanded strict action in the case and questioned why the Indore-3 MLA son was not named in the FIR, despite him being prominent in the entire group of 20-30 men.
“We cannot accept it. Law applies to everyone equally, no one involved in such incidents at places of worship should be spared by law, no matter whose son he is,” said Congress’s Dewas district city unit chief Manoj Rajani.
A video of the incident has surfaced, showing vehicles with beacons parked outside the temple and a scuffle at the gate.
Meanwhile, text message and phone call by TNIE to get the Indore-3 BJP MLA Golu Shukla’s version over the issue, remained unanswered.
Importantly, this is not the first time the Indore-3 MLA’s son Rudrakash has been in the news for wrong reasons.
Back in October 2024, Rudraksh Shukla had reportedly posted on social media account, video of him speeding his car in the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) corridor in Indore, where only iBus and emergency services vehicles were allowed.
However, no action was initiated against him in the matter, as the CCTV cameras in the BRTS corridor in Indore were not found 'functional' at the time.