Archive · 15 Sep 2026
Priest Dies During Ganesh Puja After Alleged Quarrel
A 60-year-old priest named Uppala Dattu Prasad went to perform prayers at Ganesh festival pandals.
He was in Chintalapalem on Monday night.
Police said two young men argued with him about which pandal he should visit first.
They allegedly took him to a pandal near a temple called Ramalayam.
While the priest was praying, he suddenly fell down.
Villagers took him to a government hospital in Nagarjunasagar.
Doctors said he had already died when he arrived.
Police have registered a case and are investigating what happened.
Uppala Dattu Prasad, a 60-year-old priest from Nagarjunasagar, died while performing puja.
The incident occurred Monday night at a Ganesh pandal in Chintalapalem.
Police said Gundala Ravi and Punnaiah allegedly argued with the priest over the order of pujas.
The youths allegedly took him to a pandal near Ramalayam, where he suddenly collapsed.
Doctors at Kamala Nehru Government Hospital declared him brought dead; police opened an investigation.
- Who
- Uppala Dattu Prasad, a 60-year-old priest; Gundala Ravi and Punnaiah were named by police in the case.
- What
- The priest collapsed and died while performing puja after an alleged quarrel with two youths.
- When
- Monday night.
- Where
- A Ganesh pandal near Ramalayam in Chintalapalem, Tirumalagiri Sagar mandal.
- Why
- Police said the alleged quarrel concerned the youths' demand that the priest perform puja at their colony's pandal first.
- Deceased
- Uppala Dattu Prasad, 60
- Occupation
- Purohit, or priest
- Incident location
- Ganesh pandal near Ramalayam, Chintalapalem
- Reported time
- Monday night
- Hospital
- Kamala Nehru Government Hospital, Nagarjunasagar
- Named in police case
- Gundala Ravi and Punnaiah
- Investigation
- Tirumalagiri Sagar police registered a case and began investigating