A file picture of the Baidyanath temple in Dumka

Dumka, Aug. 3: The Lord Baidyanath temple, a holy place for thousands, today became a battleground for a clash between police personnel and the pandas (priests).

Official sources have said that more than 20 police personnel and at least 10 priests were injured in the clash.

On condition of anonymity, a source said tension was brewing for the last few days after the police personnel posted in the temple had assaulted a senior member of the Panda Darma Rakshni Sabha (PDRS) —the body of priests.

The Gorkha battalion of the JAP-1 and the Quick Reaction Team, who are assigned for the security cover of the temple, left the premises as soon as they were assaulted, as a mark of protest against the assault. They returned later in the day, after senior officials from Dumka arrived at the spot and pacified them. However, the officials refused to comment.

An eyewitness, a pilgrim, recollected the incident over telephone. “We were standing in line to offer Ganga Jal to Lord Baidhyanath. Suddenly we saw that some men in uniform were beating the priests.”

A little later, he added, a group of armed pandas attacked the police. “The jam-packed temple premises soon became a battleground and the pilgrims ran for cover,” said the source, requesting not to be named.

Junior police officials said the superintendent of police of Deoghar, Suman Gupta, was responsible, as she had failed to control the situation. Gupta “escaped” from the temple instead of rescuing the police and women pilgrims, who were “virtually trapped” inside the temple, they added.

Deputy commissioner of Deoghar was not available for comment.

The incident brought back memories of another hostile situation at the temple. In 2001, the priests had taken the then deputy commissioner of Deoghar as hostage following some altercation.