Young woman allegedly assaulted during ‘aarti’ at Bageshwar Dham:Mother claims daughter beaten with punches kicks, accused ‘pretended’ to be possessed

An 18-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted during an aarti at Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur. The girl suffered serious injuries and has been admitted to the district hospital. Volunteers caught the accused and handed him over to the police. An official complaint has been registered, and the police are yet to issue a statement. The girl, identified as Swati Shukla, is a resident of Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh. She had come to Bageshwar Dham with her mother on 9 January for darshan. According to her mother, the incident took place on Sunday night during the aarti. Swati was sitting near the stage and was shouting loudly. Mother’s statement Swati’s mother, Reena Shukla, said her daughter suffers from an illness and often becomes restless. Fearing that Swati might hurt someone, Reena held her hands from behind. At that moment, a young man sitting nearby suddenly attacked Swati. He pushed her, punched her, and kicked her, causing her to fall to the ground. Regular visitors to the dham Reena Shukla said the family has been visiting Bageshwar Dham regularly for the past two years. They have visited the temple 14 times so far in search of relief for Swati’s illness. Volunteers present at the dham caught the accused soon after the assault. They handed him over to the Bageshwar Dham police outpost. Reena alleged that after being handed over, the accused began pretending to be possessed by ghosts or evil spirits. Girl hospitalised with serious injuries Swati was admitted to Chhatarpur District Hospital. Her mother said Swati suffered internal rib injuries and is in severe pain. She also has a fractured shoulder. Doctors confirmed that Swati’s condition is stable, but due to the seriousness of the injuries, she has been kept under observation. Police response awaited A formal complaint has been lodged at the Bageshwar Dham police outpost. Attempts to contact Outpost In-charge D.D. Shakya were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to phone calls.