RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Sept.28: Making a mockery of the security arrangements on Ranchi’s Main Road, a person not only broke open the grill of at least a half-century old Hanuman Temple at Mallah Toli under Hindpiri police station area but also damaged Lord Hanuman’s idol.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours on Wednesday, caused consternation among those who believe in Hanuman and those concerned about social harmony in Ranchi, which is already under scrutiny following police firing on an unruly procession protesting suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma’s controversial statement involving Prophet Mohammed.
As words spread about the incident, people began congregating near the temple, cursing the state government. Some of them were so outraged by the incident that they were heard planning a massive protest against it.
The police took the vandalism incident seriously and are investigating it further. Immediately, a 100-meter stretch adjacent to the temple was turned into a cantonment, and those who were upset by the incident were appeased. As a result, traffic in the area returned to normal, and law and order were fully restored.
Using their intelligence, a section of police arrested a 35-year-old man from the Hindpiri neighbourhood and brought him to the police station. The man admitted to the crime but provided no explanation. According to a police official, he pretended to be a mentally ill patient and when asked why, he simply said, “Meri Marzi (my wish).” However, the police officer refused to reveal his name, claiming that he has yet to be properly interrogated.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kishore Kaushal did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. When this correspondent visited the scene, it appeared that police have no evidence that the man in police custody committed the crime. It appeared that even if he is arrested and sent to jail, proving him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt will remain a challenge.
“There are only two CCTV cameras in the area that face the temple. One was installed at Kailash Crockery, while another was installed at Delsy, a tourist bag shop. Unfortunately, Kailash Crockery’s recording capabilities are limited. It has no footage from after September 24, and Delsy’s CCTV is not working. As a result, we are attempting to obtain additional evidence to determine whether the person in our custody is the sole perpetrator or if there are others involved,” a police official stated.
“A Pandal of Vishal Club Durga Puja is being built near the temple. It was expected that those involved in Pandal construction would shed some light, but preliminary investigations revealed that no one was in the Pandal at the time of the incident. Club members were sleeping at their homes,” said another police officer assigned to law and order in the area.
