New Delhi, Sept. 1 -- Nine people have been arrested so far in connection with the brutal killing of a 35-year-old sevadar at the Kalkaji temple here, police said on Monday.

The victim, Yogendra Singh, was beaten to death on Friday night following an argument with the accused over the distribution of 'prasad'.

Singh, who was working at the temple for nearly 15 years, was punched and beaten with sticks by the accused after he could not give them 'chunni prasad' as it was finished for the day.

Nine people, including prime accused Atul Pandey who was caught on the spot by locals, have been arrested so far. The other eight are Kuldeep Bidhuri (20), Mohan Bidhuri alias Bhura (19), Nitin Pandey (27), Sandeep Bidhuri (33), Monu Kangar (31), Rohit Bidhuri (24), Anil Pandey (46) and Babu (40), Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said.

Anil, the father of Nitin, and Babu have been arrested for harbouring the attackers and criminal conspiracy.

"Teams are scanning CCTV footage, analysing technical evidence and questioning several people to identify and arrest the remaining suspects. We will arrest all those involved in the assault soon. No one will be spared," the DCP said.

Another senior officer said the investigation has also revealed a pattern of local dominance, as several of the accused hail from Tughlaqabad village and are related to one another.

Police are looking into their criminal antecedents and are also probing whether others helped them escape after the incident, the officer said.

"More arrests are expected to be made in the case, which is being pursued on priority," the officer said.

Singh's younger brother Kaushal has demanded strict punishment for all the culprits and sought financial assistance for his family. Singh left behind a six-year-old daughter who suffers from a disability that requires expensive medical care.

"Yogendra worked tirelessly to support his family. We cannot imagine why such cruelty was inflicted on him. We want the strictest punishment so that such crimes never happen again," Kaushal had said.

Kalkaji temple staff and other sevadars have demanded proper security arrangements after the incident.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.