Aligarh. There was a stir after the case of offering pieces of meat in the famous Siddhpeeth Khereshwar Mahadev temple located in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh came to light. There was resentment among the temple management and devotees after objectionable material was found in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the temple management scanned the footage of CCTV cameras, in which a person was seen entering the temple premises carrying some material in black polythene. Efforts were made to identify the suspect based on the footage. When the same person reached the temple again on Tuesday, Chief Mahant Prahlad Giri Maharaj recognized him. After this, with the help of the temple servants, he was caught and handed over to the police.
According to the police, the detained person has been identified as Anwaruddin s/o Hakimullah. He is said to be a resident of the Big Mosque located behind Dhaurra Mafi in Quarsi police station area of Aligarh. According to preliminary information, the accused has been working as an assistant teacher in a primary school located in Ganeshpur village of Pisawa police station area. It is being told that he has been under suspension for a long time. Police are investigating the matter and efforts are being made to find out the real reason behind the incident.
According to the temple management, during the cleaning of the sanctum sanctorum on Saturday, October 31, it was revealed that pieces of meat were found near the Shivalinga. The temple priests and servants were shocked by this incident. The management considered the finding of such material inside the religious place as a serious matter. After this, the recordings of CCTV cameras installed in the temple premises were immediately examined.
On viewing the footage, information emerged about a suspicious person coming to the temple and taking out some material from black polythene. The temple management started efforts to identify the person. The relevant footage was kept safe so that it could be made available to the police if required.
The matter escalated when the suspect reached the temple again on Tuesday, November 3. Prahlad Giri Maharaj, the chief Mahant of the temple, recognized him. After this, the servicemen present there stopped him and started questioning him regarding the incident. The temple management immediately informed the police.
On receiving the information, Lodha police station reached the temple and took the concerned person into custody. A complaint was also given to the police by the temple management. In this, the accused has been accused of offering objectionable material in the temple. After the incident, representatives of some organizations also reached the police station and demanded legal action in the matter.
Khereshwar Mahadev Temple is one of the major religious places of Aligarh. A large number of devotees come here to worship Lord Shiva. There is a huge crowd of devotees in the temple especially during the month of Sawan, Mahashivaratri and other religious occasions. The local people have deep religious faith attached to the temple.
This is the reason that after the information about objectionable material being found in the sanctum sanctorum came to light, there was resentment among the devotees and the temple management. People associated with the temple have demanded an impartial investigation into the incident and action should be taken against the person responsible as per law.
The temple management says that the sanctity of the religious place and the sentiments of the devotees should be respected. A need is also being felt to make the security arrangements of the temple more effective to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.
At the same time, the information that the arrested person is an assistant teacher in a government school has also brought the matter into discussion. According to initial reports, the accused is under suspension for a long time. However, detailed official details of the period of his suspension and related departmental action have not been revealed.
The police now face the challenge of finding out why the accused had allegedly reached the temple with objectionable material. During the investigation, CCTV footage, complaint of the temple management and statements of the concerned persons are being considered important.
The alleged statements of the accused have also been mentioned in some media reports, but these claims have not been independently confirmed. In such a situation, any specific motive or conspiracy behind the incident cannot be considered as a proven fact at present.
Considering the sensitivity of the matter, local people are expected to maintain peace and restraint. In any matter related to religious faith, the situation can become tense due to spread of rumors. Therefore, it is necessary to rely only on the facts emerging from the police investigation regarding the incident.
The police can also investigate how the suspicious material reached inside the temple premises despite the security arrangements and whether there was any flaw in the entry system. After the suspect was identified with the help of CCTV cameras, the role of surveillance system in the temple has also proved important.
At present, after this incident, the discussion regarding security and surveillance arrangements in Khereshwar Mahadev Temple has intensified. The temple management and the devotees demand that the entire truth of the case should be brought out and if proven guilty, action should be taken against the person concerned as per law. Only after the police investigation is completed will it become clear why the accused allegedly took such a step.
