Devotees, including women, thrashed by shopkeepers with belts and slippers for refusing to buy ‘prasad’ at Lucknow temple; viral video

LUCKNOW: ‘Prasad' turned into an apple of discord, resulting in a violent clash between a devotee and a shopkeeper selling it when the former allegedly refused to buy it from the latter's shop in Chandrika Devi temple under Bakshi Ka Talab on Monday.
A video of the clash has gone viral on social media, after which police registered a case against the shopkeeper and started an investigation based on CCTV footage.

Additional deputy commissioner of police, JK Dubey said, "The men put pressure on the devotee to buy prasad, which led to the clash. Four people were taken into custody after registering a case."
"Piyush Sharma, a resident of Triveninagar, went to Chandrika Devi temple with his family members, where the shopkeepers selling prasad pressured them to buy from their shops. When the victim refused, an argument and assault took place with them," said Lucknow police in their statement. It added, "On the basis of the complaint received from the victim's party, a case has been registered at BKT police station."
Sharma told police that he came with his family to visit the temple in Kathwara village when the shopkeeper pressured him to buy prasad. When he refused, a dispute started. When the matter escalated, six shopkeepers united and started beating him.
The complainant also accused the united shopkeepers of chasing them to the temple premises and beating them. "They also pushed and shoved the women who came to intervene," the complainant told police.
Viral video shows men beating women devotees
Multiple videos from CCTV footage and those present during the clash have now gone viral. The purported video shows 4-5 men in a physical clash with men as well as with 2-3 women, even using belts and slippers in the fight.