A woman from the royal family of Madhya Pradesh was dragged out of the temple for an alleged violation
Jiteshwari Devi, a member of the former royal family of Panna in Madhya Pradesh, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of violating temple rules when she entered the temple during Janmashtami celebrations, police said.
As is the custom every year, the birthday of the Hindu god Krishna was celebrated at midnight at the Shri Jugal Kishore Temple, a popular religious site in the Bundelkhand region, which includes the Panna district.
According to temple officials, Jiteshwari Devi tried to disrupt the temple rituals by insisting that she perform the ‘aarti’ herself. Later, when he tried to enter the Sanctum sanctorum, he tripped and fell. A riot ensued, forcing the police to arrive at the temple and ask the former queen to leave the temple grounds. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, in which he is arguing with the temple authorities and the police. Locals present at the temple claimed that Jiteshwari Devi was drunk and tried to fight with the temple authorities.
The police dragged the former queen out of the temple. Panna Superintendent of Police Sai Krishna S Thota said that according to custom, only the men of the royal family offer the ‘Chaanwari’ purification rite using a broom at the temple during Janmashtami. Since Jiteshwari Devi’s son could not come to the temple, he undertook this ritual. An FIR was registered against him and he was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police. After being taken away by the police, Jiteshwari Devi made serious allegations against the Madhya Pradesh government, alleging that a defense fund worth $65,000 million was misappropriated in Panna. He claimed he was arrested because he was vocal about the alleged fraud.
