Meerut: A 44-year-old man was arrested on Friday for allegedly offering prayers in the premises of Chandi Devi temple in Kotwali town area of Hapur district in Uttar Pradesh. CO City Ashok Kumar Sisodia said that the eyewitnesses present in the temple alleged that a person spread a mat on the floor of the temple and started performing Namaz-like actions at around 4.42 am.
Police is probing the background- motive of the accused
Hapur SP Abhishek Verma said, “Accused Mohammad Anwar, a resident of Hapur, was arrested from Hapur-Bulandshahr road on the basis of CCTV footage. During questioning, he told the police that he had no malicious intent, and said that temples and mosques are places of worship. With this intention, he thought of offering Namaz in the temple premises. The police is thoroughly probing his background and motive.
Washed the temple premises with ‘Ganga Jal’
Meanwhile, temple priest Manoj Kumar said, “Devotees offering prayers saw a Muslim man offering namaz, which created a pandemonium. He left after they objected.” The cause sparked outrage among devotees, as a result of which the temple committee allegedly washed the premises with ‘Ganga Jal’ to “restore the sanctity of the place”.
Case in the section of desecrating the place of worship
CO City Ashok Kumar Sisodia said that based on the complaint of Satya Prakash Aggarwal, a member of the Chandi Devi temple committee, sections 295 (damaging or desecrating a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 298 were registered against the accused. FIR has been registered under. (Intentionally intending to wound the religious feelings of any person) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The accused is being investigated.
