Dist admin orders probe into KVT Shaptarshi Aarti row

Varanasi: The district administration has ordered a probe into Thursday evening Shaptarshi Aarti row at Kashi Vishwanath temple. The probe will be conducted by a team headed by ADM City and SP Security.
The investigation team has been ordered to file its report within a week.
District magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma ordered the probe on Friday night after a group of priests gathered at gate-4 of the temple in violation of the prohibitory orders and performed Shaptarshi Aarti on road. Simultaneously, a separate team of priests arranged by the temple administration performed regular aarti of Lord Vishwanath at the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.
Officials said a group of priests associated with the former mahant of the temple had performed the evening ‘Saptarshi Aarti’ on road on Thursday, violating the norms of lockdown in protest against denial of entry in the temple. However, the ritual was also performed in the sanctum sanctorum of KVT by other priests.
The temple administration had restricted the entry of the priests, who later held the aarti on road, in the temple for their alleged involvement in spreading rumours regarding damage to a part of Kailash Mahadev Mandir in the KVT corridor area.
The temple administration has alleged that this group was also spreading rumours to stir religious sentiments of the people.
The DM said that as the KVT administration and former mahant’s families have their own claims, an impartial probe into the matter was necessary. The probe team have been asked to give its report on five points.
“The investigation team will find out whether any damage had been done to a temple as alleged by the priests backed by the former mahant’s family,” the DM said adding, “if the damage had taken place, whether the temple administration should have taken any action for repair and avoid further losses. Apart from it, the team will also identify the persons who tried to sensationalise the issue. The issue of violation of prohibitory order and Disaster Management Act will also be covered by this team.”
Earlier, taking note of the controversy the DM had made it clear that the violation of Disaster Management Act by anybody was not acceptable. Later, SSP Prabhakar Chowdhary submitted a report on the violation of section 144 during lockdown by the group of priests to the DM, which was forwarded to the court of magistrate concerned.