Tirunelli temple employees suspended after video of drunken brawl goes viral
Three Tirunelli Temple employees were suspended following a viral video of a drunken brawl, prompting show-cause notices and disciplinary action, with the DYFI demanding further stringent measures.
Three Tirunelli Temple employees were suspended following a viral video of a drunken brawl, prompting show-cause notices and disciplinary action, with the DYFI demanding further stringent measures.
Three Tirunelli Temple employees were suspended following a viral video of a drunken brawl, prompting show-cause notices and disciplinary action, with the DYFI demanding further stringent measures.
Mananthavady: The Malabar Devaswom Board has suspended three employees of the Tirunelli Temple in Wayanad after a video allegedly showing two of them engaged in a drunken brawl at a private resort near the temple went viral on social media.
According to reports, the employees were attending a leisure gathering at the resort when two of them allegedly got into an altercation while under the influence of alcohol. The third employee allegedly recorded the incident on his mobile phone. The video was later shared with other temple staff before circulating widely on social media and devotees' WhatsApp groups.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the temple's Executive Officer said show-cause notices were served on the employees immediately after the incident came to the notice of the Devaswom authorities. Pending disciplinary proceedings, all three have been suspended from duty with immediate effect.
The Executive Officer said temple employees are expected to uphold the highest standards of discipline and conduct, as their responsibilities demand purity, devotion and decorum.
The employees facing disciplinary action are KC Vijayachandran and KT Krishnamohan. Another employee, Sooraj, who allegedly recorded and circulated the video, has also been suspended. Formal disciplinary proceedings against all three will be initiated shortly, the Executive Officer said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) demanded stringent action against the employees, alleging that they are members of a pro-BJP trade union. In a statement, the organisation said the incident had tarnished the temple's image and undermined the dignity of both its employees and devotees.
Known as the "Kashi of the South", the Tirunelli Temple is one of Kerala's most revered shrines dedicated to Lord Maha Vishnu. Nestled amid forests about 40 km from Mananthavady, the ancient temple attracts thousands of devotees every year. During the Malayalam month of Karkidakam, pilgrims gather on the banks of the sacred Papanasini River, which flows beside the temple, to perform ancestral rites and offer prayers for their departed souls.