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Ayodhya case petitioner Iqbal Ansari allegedly attacked by international shooter

According to the police, Singh accused Ansari of being a hindrance in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, asked him to withdraw his petition from the Supreme Court and then attacked him.

Updated on: Sep 4, 2019, 09:17:33 IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By
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Iqbal Ansari, one of the petitioners in the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid title suit currently being heard in the Supreme Court, was allegedly attacked by international shooter Vartika Singh at his residence in Ayodhya on Tuesday, police said.

One of the petitioners in the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid title suit was allegedly attacked by international shooter Vartika Singh at his residence in Ayodhya. (HT Photo)
One of the petitioners in the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid title suit was allegedly attacked by international shooter Vartika Singh at his residence in Ayodhya. (HT Photo)

According to the police, Singh accused Ansari of being a hindrance in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, asked him to withdraw his petition from the Supreme Court and then attacked him.

However, before the situation could take an ugly turn, Ansari’s security guards intervened and prevented the shooter from causing any injury to him.

On the basis of an alert from Ansari’s family members, policemen from the Ram Janmabhoomi police station reached the spot and took Singh and another person who was accompanying her into custody.

“Vartika Singh has been detained. We are investigating the case,” said Vijay Pal Singh, superintendent of police, Ayodhya.

Meanwhile, Singh has accused Ansari of misbehaving with her when they were discussing the Ram temple issue and said “this led to the incident.”

Police said Singh, along with her companion , reached Ansari’s residence on Tuesday.

“While discussing the Ram temple issue, she accused me of being an obstacle and asked me to withdraw my petition from the court (Supreme Court),” Ansari said over phone. “All of sudden she got agitated and started hitting me. My security men intervened.”

  • Pawan Dixit
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Pawan Dixit

    Pawan Dixit, Assistant Editor, brings over 20 years of frontline reporting experience to the newsroom. A specialist on Uttar Pradesh politics and governance, he has reported from the ground across the state’s most consequential stories. He cut his teeth in eastern UP, spending 15 years covering the region. Based in Varanasi, he reported the 2012 UP Assembly polls and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that reshaped the state’s political map. Moving to Lucknow in 2016, he has since led coverage of the 2017 and 2022 UP Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His reporting tracks the BJP’s strategy, opposition moves, and voter sentiment across all 75 districts. Pawan has been a constant presence in Ayodhya since 2016. He reported the entire arc of the Ram Mandir movement — from the legal fight to the Supreme Court verdict, through temple construction, to the inauguration. He continues to track every development at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On the state beat, he covers the BJP, the Industrial Development Department, and handles key outstation political assignments. He also reports major cases from the district court, Lucknow bench of the High Court, and the State Information Commission. Along with this, he also reports on NGT's important decisions related to UP. Known for sharp sourcing and clear analysis, Pawan connects politics, policy, infrastructure and faith — the forces driving UP today. He has reported developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir movement since 2016. The Supreme Court's Ram Mandir verdict, temple construction and the its opening have been reported by him. He reports all developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir Trust. He covers state BJP, Industrial development department, outstation political assignments, reports special cases from district court, high court and state information commissionRead More