Mathura: A fine of Rs 1.40 lakh was imposed on a priest of the
famous Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan after he
allegedly allowed some visitors to carry out pooja in
the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine against the rule, temple authorities said.
The penalty was imposed on priest Sumit
Goswami for allowing seven pupils to worship in the sanctum sanctorum of the
shrine, temple management committee president Advocate Nandkishor
Upmanyu said.
On failure to remit the fine within one week he will be
disqualified from all facilities provided to him as the temple priest and will
also be denied the right to vote in elections for the management committee
members, Upmanyu said.
The priest had reportedly allowed seven of his pupils, four women
and three men, to offer prayers in the sanctum sanctorum on January 13 despite
the temple management's ban on entry of visitors in the zone.
A notice was issued to the priest immediately seeking his
clarification on the issue, but after not getting a satisfactorily explanation
for the act, a penalty, at the rate of Rs 20,000 per offender per day, was
imposed on the priest in line with the punishment provision laid down by the
management committee on November 30, 2013, Upmanyu
further said.
Citing an Allahabad High Court ruling, Upmanyu
said the law bars entry of more than four persons, including the temple priest
and 'bhandari', into the sacred area of the temple.
Even President Pranab Mukherjee offered
prayers in the temple premises just like a regular visitor when he had arrived
here for the Nagpooja programme
on November 16 last, Upmanyu added.
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