Tension prevailed in Hapur on Friday after a youth allegedly tried to offer namaz inside a temple while in Sambhal, clashes were reported between Dalit and upper caste members over taking out a ‘shobha yatra’.
Senior officers along with heavy police force were camping in both the districts to avert any untoward incident.
According to reports from Hapur, soon after the morning aarti in the ancient Chandi temple in Sadar Kotwali area of the district, a youth entered the temple and allegedly started offering namaz. The priest saw him and objected. In the meantime, other devotees also objected following which the youth slipped out of the temple and escaped.
After this, members of the ancient Chandi Temple Committee and the leaders of Hindu organisations reached the spot. Reports said that the news of the incident spread like wildfire and within an hour, several members and leaders of Hindu outfits gathered and staged a demonstration, demanding arrest of the accused.
Seeing tension, senior police officers, including the district magistrate and the superintendent of police also reached the spot along with heavy police force and tried to defuse the situation by assuring stern action against the culprit. The officers also took the recording of the CCTV camera installed inside and outside the temple and reportedly saw a youth entering and later fleeing amidst protest. His identity could not be ascertained.
The officers were taking help from the local public to find out the youth’s identity but had failed to get any success till the time of filing the report.
Circle Officer Ashok Sisodia said the police were examining the CCTV footage to ascertain the sequence of events and also the identity of the youth.
District Magistrate Prerna Sharma said that a case had come to fore of a person offering namaz in the Chandi temple of Hapur and statements of people had been taken after reaching the spot along with the superintendent of police of Hapur. “The entire matter is being investigated. The CCTV footage of the temple is being scrutinized,” the district magistrate said.
Meanwhile in Sambhal district, tension prevailed after clashes between Dalit and upper caste members over installation of idols in a temple and taking out ‘shobha yatra’. The members of Dalit community especially opposed the procession being taken out from the area inhabited by the Dalit community in the village.
The police have detained about 40 people from both sides. The incident created panic in the entire area and a police force was deployed to maintain peace in the village. The incident took place in Dhadhol village under Bahjoi police station last Wednesday evening.
Reports said that a temple was constructed by the Brahmin community in the village. Before the installation of the idols of deities in the temple, the idols were taken out in a procession with pomp in the village by the members of the Brahmin community. When the ‘shobha yatra’ reached the area of Dalit community, the members of the community opposed it and asked that the procession be stopped. Soon both sides came face to face and later started pelting stones and fought a pitched battle before the police reached the spot.
As soon as the police got the information about the dispute, Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra, Additional Superintendent of Police Shrish Chandra and the circle officer reached the spot along with police force from several police stations.
On the instructions of the SP, the police took 40 people into custody for disturbing peace in the village and indulged in pelting stones. To arrest the other accused, the police kept raiding the houses of the accused throughout the night. Policemen have been deployed to maintain peace in the village. The villagers injured in stone pelting have been admitted to Bahjoi community health centre for treatment.
SP Chakresh Mishra said that a dispute was reported between members of Brahmin and Jatav community regarding a ‘shobha yatra’ being taken out in Dhadhol village. He said at present the situation in the village was normal and police had been deployed as a precautionary measure to maintain peace in the village.