Kunigal temple priest arrested for assaulting, abusing security staffer

TUMAKURU: A priest at the Rangaswamy temple at Taliyabetta in Kunigal taluk was arrested for allegedly assaulting and abusing a security staffer in the name of caste after the latter touched the temple hundi (donation box).

The arrest followed a complaint lodged by the security staffer Partharaju against priest Rakesh under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Partharaju has also alleged that Rakesh had hit him with a stick on the day of the incident.

In a video doing the rounds on social media, Rakesh can be seen questioning Partharaju why he was sitting in a government-managed temple and to move out. Based on the video, the Kunigal police have arrested Rakesh.