Family priest of Amitabh Bachchan, who also performed pujas for Gandhi family, beaten up by cops

Family priest of Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who also reportedly performed pujas for the Gandhi family, was allegedly beaten up during a scuffle between priests and the police at Uttar Pradesh’s Vindhyavasini temple in Vindhyachal area.

A video of the incident has gone viral.

According to media reports, the clashes took place on Sunday after the district magistrate of Chandauli district and his family were escorted to the temple by the police to perform pujas despite the weekend lockdown. However, when Bachchan's family priest Amit Pandey, along with other priests, reached the temple for performing pujas, the police opposed, leading to an altercation.

“Police deliberately did this. Protesting priests are also implicated in false cases. We are very respected in the community,” Hindustan Times quoted Sumit Pandey, brother of the priest, as saying.

However, additional superintendent of police Sanjay Verma, rubbishing reports, said the cops did not escort any official to the temple for puja.

A priest performed darshan puja and when Amit Pandya began taking other visitors for the puja, the cops opposed, Verma said.

No case has been registered in connection with the incident so far, say media reports.