A minor girl was allegedly molested within the famed temple (Representative image)

UJJAIN: The Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee on Thursday suspended a priest after videos showing him allegedly molesting a minor girl within the famed Mahakal temple were circulated on social media.

The temple committee has moved an application with police, saying it doesn’t have the videos but wants an investigation after being flooded with complaints from horrified devotees.

“Through an administrative order, using powers bestowed on the committee under Madhya Pradesh Shri Mahakaleshwar Mandir Adhiniyam, priest Hemant Dubey was suspended after we received reports about him molesting a minor in temple premises. His entry to the temple has also been suspended,” temple’s incharge administrator Abhishek Dubey told TOI.

Sources say Dubey was an accused in the death of Prof HS Sabharwal in Madhav College in 2008, but was acquitted by court. Dubey did not respond to repeated attempts to contact him on the action taken by the temple committee. The videos showed a priest allegedly molesting a girl while he is sitting with pooja material at the doorstep of a temple inside the main Mahakal temple complex. Mahakal police station in-charge Rakesh Modi said he has received the application and will take “appropriate action”.

Apart from the main priests appointed at the main temple, there are priests for the rest of smaller temples who don’t get regular salary, but receive a portion of donations made by pilgrims. Dubey was the priest of one such temple, Anadikalpeshwar Mahadev Mandir, inside the main complex.

