SSP suspends 5 cops for lax security at temple

SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT of police Raja Srivastav suspended five police personnel, including a sub-inspector, deployed for security at the Gorakhnath temple. They were suspended on the charge of dereliction of duty.

SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT of police Raja Srivastav suspended five police personnel, including a sub-inspector, deployed for security at the Gorakhnath temple. They were suspended on the charge of dereliction of duty.

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Those suspended included sub-inspector Radhamohan and constables Chithori and Lalji Yadav among others. The police administration were gearing up to lodge an FIR against them, sources said.

In view of the attempted attack on the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, the SSP and the district magistrate Dr Hariom reviewed security arrangements at Goraknath temple. Earlier, the security of the temple was beefed up after the bomb blasts at Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi in March. According to sources, a team of police officials, along with the SSP and the SP, Rural, Pankaj Kumar, inspected security arrangements of the temple and found various irregularities. The security personnel deployed here were absent from their duty.

The metal detector installed at the main entrance of the temple was out of order. Besides, the LIU officials with hand-held metal detectors were found gossiping under trees.

Police officials discussed the security arrangements with BJP MP Adityanath. The police personnel deployed as security guards of headpriest Mahant Avaidyanath were also not present. According to police records, a police post had been established in the temple, but the ground reality was far from the claim, which had raised the hackles of the police officials.

Sources claimed that police officials had orders to lodge an FIR against the security personnel deployed at the temple for dereliction of duty. It was noteworthy that whenever terrorist attacks took place, district police officials reviewed the security of the Gorakhnath temple.