Attacked by Imam, Temple Priest in Warangal Dies

Satyanarayana, a Hindu pujari, who was attacked by Sayeed Sadhiq Hussain, an imam of Mosque, in Warangal on October 26, succumbed to injuries and breathed his last today at NIMS hospital in Hyderabad.

The attack happened on the early hours of 26th October, when Satyanarayana was playing the devotional songs at the local Shiva Sai temple in Pochamma Maidan. The attacker Sayeed Sadhiq Hussain, an Imam of LB Nagar Mosque, had approached the pujari and demanded to switch off the mike system. When pujari refused to do so, the angry Imam suddenly assaulted the age-old Satyanarayana mercilessly and ran away. Pujari was severely injured, ribs were broken and his liver was damaged. He was undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Warangal.

Local Hindu organisations, NGOs and members of Warangal Bar Association gave several representations requesting the Telangana State Government to bear the medical expenses of the financially poor victim until his health condition becomes normal, but the same were ignored.

Suddenly his health deteriorated and became critical last evening, immediately he was shifted from Warangal to NIMS, Hyderabad. While undergoing the treatment priest breathed his last today morning (1 November) at NIMS.

Knowing this sad news, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad unit in Warangal demanded death sentence to Sayeed Sadhiq Hussain and immediate arrest of others whoever has a role in this conspiracy.

In a press statement, Kesireddy Jaipal Reddy, the president of VHP Warangal urban division, N. Bhaskar Rao, VHP Telangana vice president, K. Ramesh, VHP District coordinator of Warangal demanded that the state government to conduct the funerals of the priest with government expenses and provide the security to Shiva Sai temple in Pochamma Maidan.