Judicial Magistrate and Family Assaulted by Security Guards at Udaipur Temple; FIR Registered

Udaipur- In a troubling incident at Udaipur's Eklingji Temple, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Siddharth Shankar Sharma and his family were reportedly assaulted by temple security guards. The officer’s wife was allegedly subjected to harassment and indecent behavior during the altercation.

The ACJM had visited the temple along with his wife, children, in-laws, and other family members to perform a ritual. Despite his official status, he opted not to use any VIP privileges and stood in line like an ordinary devotee, patiently waiting for his turn. However, the situation escalated when a security guard insultingly referred to those in the queue as "sheep and goats." Outraged by this derogatory comment, the officer voiced his protest.

In response, several other guards, including a female guard, reportedly rushed to the scene and physically assaulted the officer, even breaking his glasses. When an elderly relative tried to intervene, he was also violently thrown to the ground. The officer’s brother-in-law, who attempted to defend the family, had his throat grabbed by one of the guards. Matters worsened when the officer's wife intervened, leading to her being manhandled, subjected to indecent behavior, and nearly carried away by the guards. The guards involved identified themselves as Swarup Singh and another with the last name Chauhan.

Following the incident, the judicial officer and his family went to the Sukher police station, where the officer's wife lodged a complaint. However, despite being made to wait for nearly two hours, neither a medical examination was conducted, nor was a case immediately registered. Instead, the family faced undue pressure to settle the matter privately. The officer, standing firm, insisted on filing a formal complaint and submitted a report accordingly. In the meantime, the security guards lodged a counter-complaint, accusing the judicial officer and his family of creating a disturbance and engaging in physical altercations within the temple premises.

Speaking with The Mooknayak, ACJM Siddharth Shankar Sharma expressed his dismay, stating, "This is the height of unruliness and misbehavior by security personnel against a common man. I have lived my life with integrity and did not use my influence for special privileges in the queue. Yet, the guards misbehaved, physically assaulted me and my family, and even pushed my wife. When we reported the incident to the police, the temple trust, run by the Mewar ex-royal family, exerted undue pressure on the police to avoid filing a complaint and have been forcing me to settle the matter."

In response to this incident, the Niwai Lawyers’ Association, Tonk, has strongly condemned the actions of the temple security guards and the subsequent police inaction. They have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, demanding strict action. As a mark of protest, the lawyers voluntarily boycotted work and refrained from appearing in court on August 14, 2024.

An FIR has since been registered at the Sukher police station, and an investigation is currently underway.