IIT graduate attacks constables at Gorakhnath temple; ATS to probe

New Delhi, April 4

A youth allegedly attacked security personnel with a sharp-edged weapon at a gate of the Gorakhnath temple and tried to barge into the premises, Uttar Pradesh officials said on Monday terming it as a “terror incident”.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening at the temple which is under high security as it is frequently visited by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is the head seer.

Suspecting terror angle into the alleged attack, the home department of the Uttar Pradesh Government has handed over the probe into the incident to anti-terrorism-squad (ATS) of the state police.

The home department said, “The ATS will investigate the matter with the active support of the state police’s special task force.” The accused, who has been identified as Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi of Gorakhpur and has done his engineering from IIT Mumbai, had allegedly attacked the police constables outside the temple gate and forcibly tried to enter the temple while raising religious slogans.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Prashant Kumar, Additional Director General (ADG), Law and Order, said, “The case has been handed over to the ATS as we cannot rule out the terror angle in the incident and a detailed investigation has been initiated.”

The police said cases had been registered against the accused under Section 301 (attempt to murder) of the IPC, Section 7 (molesting a person to prejudice of employment or business) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932, among others.

Meanwhile, the CM announced Rs 5 lakh each for the police personnel, who sustained injuries during the incident. They are constables with Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC) Gopal Gaud and Anil Paswan and constable (Civil Police) Anurag Rajput.