Man claiming to be close aide of Dawood Ibrahim threatens to blow Ram Temple, arrested

The Bihar Police said that the man does not have a criminal record, but seems to be mentally unstable.

Updated on: Jan 21, 2024, 17:50:26 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Bihar Police have arrested a 21-year-old man from Araria district for calling up the police and threatening to “blow up” the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, PTI reported on Sunday.

A view of the main entrance of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 21. (Deepak Gupta/ Hindustan Times)

Superintendent of Police of Araria Ashok Kumar Singh said the caller has been identified as Intekhab Alam. He was arrested from his home at Balua Kaliyaganj in the Palasi police station area late on Saturday.

"The man had on January 19 dialed 112, the number on which citizens can seek emergency help. He claimed his name was Chhota Shakeel and that he was a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim,” Singh told PTI.

"Alam said over phone that he would blow up the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22... he does not have a criminal record, but seems to be mentally unstable,” the SP added.

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The senior police officer further added that in view of the "sensitivity of the issue”, a case has been registered at the Palasi police station. His mobile phone has also been seized by police.

“As soon as the call was received, details were shared with the cyber cell. The mobile number from which he had made the call was found to be registered in the name of his father,” Singh added.

Ram Temple consecration ceremony

The consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is scheduled to be held on January 22.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will also share the dais with several other dignitaries.

More than 7,000 people have been invited to the ceremony by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust.

Also Read | What will happen to old Ram Lalla? All you need to know about 4 idols in Ram Temple

Lakshmi Kant Dixit, a priest from Varanasi, will perform the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at 12.20 pm. The ceremony is expected to conclude by 1 pm.

The idol of Ram Lalla, sculpted by Mysore-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, has been selected for installation. The seven-day rituals of the consecration ceremony began on Tuesday. The rituals include various forms of puja. The deity of Ram Lalla will get a divine bath with 125 urns on January 21.

After the January 22 event, the Ram temple will be opened to devotees. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from across India are expected to visit the temple every day.

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HT News Desk
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