Youths, mostly coming from outside, engaging in eve-teasing and molestation involving women devotees, are bringing disrepute for Ramnagar-based Garjiya Temple, runs the refrain among the aggrieved locals.
Administration and police have sat up in alarm after a case of a 16-year-old girl and her brother-in-law, M Sahani hailing from Kashipur, being subjected to misbehaviour and even physical assault by half a dozen drunken youths reportedly from Moradabad in the Garjiya Temple complex on Thursday came to light.
These youths had allegedly torn the cloth of the minor and beaten her brother-in-law. When she started fleeing, two of the accused chased her for a few metres. The girl fell on the ground and became unconscious. Seeing things, other devotees and local traders intervened and caught the accused. Four drunken youths allegedly tried to throw the victim’s brother- in- law in the river, near the temple. He somehow managed to escape from the clutches of the drunk. “If such ugly incidents are not stopped people would shun the temple that draws enormous footfalls of the devotees and the tourists alike,” said a local.
A team led by Ramnagar Police Station in-charge inspector Kailash Panwar rushed to the spot after being informed about the incident. The six accused arrested by police have been identified as Vikki, native of Dabal Phata, Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh), Ganejdra Singh and Ranveer, residents of Kajipura Civil line (Moradabad), Amit, Deli Ghat (Moradabad), Sanjeev Kumar, resident of Chandannagar and Amit, resident of Bajipur Amroha.
The victim had registered a complaint and a case under Sections 147/354/354a/504/323 of IPC and sections 11/12 of Protection of Children from Sexual offences (POCSO) Act was registered against the accused in Ramnagar police station, said inspector Panwar.
He said that one of the accused had purchased a vehicle and, along with his friends, he had come to the temple to offer prayer. “But they were all drunk. The accused were sent to Haldwani Jail after being presented in the court on Friday,” he added. The traders alleged that police are doing nothing to stop such cases which are occurring almost daily. “They must be pro-active and keep the temple from being desecrated this way by some drunkards and the like,” said one of the traders.