A group of about 30 people allegedly thrashed a priest of a famous temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas for refusing to let them in after closing hours, police said on Saturday. 

The incident took place post-midnight at the Mata Tekri temple, with the priest alleging that a person named Jitu Raghuvanshi, who the police said has a past criminal record, arrived at the temple late Friday night with about 30 people in a fleet of eight to 10 cars.

Videos going viral on social media showed a couple of cars with red beacons in the fleet that arrived at the foot of the hilltop temple. They were later seen offering prayers inside the temple.

“We close the temple gates by midnight. The group led by Jitu Raghuvanshi came around 12:40 am when I had already shut the gates. When I told them that the temple was closed, they forced me to open the gates and threatened to kill me. They also beat me,” the priest told NDTV.

City Superintendent of Police Dinesh Agrawal told reporters that a case has been registered, and the footage from about  50 cameras in the temple premises is being examined.

Asked if a son of a BJP leader led the group, Mr Agrawal said the case was under investigation.

The group said the attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was a “horrific crime” committed by Israel, which said it was looking into the reports. 

​The group said the attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was a “horrific crime” committed by Israel, which said it was looking into the reports.  

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