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Trial of 85 suspects, who desecrated Hindu temple in Pakistan, begins
The miscreants burnt parts of the temple and damaged the idols inside the temple.
The trial of 85 suspects, who were involved in an attack on a Ganesh temple in Pakistan’s Rahim Yar Khan district, began on Friday at an anti-terrorism court. Several hundred people who were carrying sticks, stones and bricks attacked the temple in Pakistan’s Bhong, which is 590 kms from Lahore, on August 4.
The miscreants burnt parts of the temple and damaged the idols inside the temple. They claimed they were protesting against the release of an eight-year-old child belonging to the Hindu community who was arrested for allegedly urinating in a local seminary. They damaged the walls, doors and electric fittings while desecrating the temple.
“The trial of 85 suspects arrested in the temple attack case began today after police submitted a report to the anti-terrorism court,” an official of the Punjab province told news agency PTI. All of them were detained at the New Central Jail in Bahawalpur city on judicial remand. The government official said that compensation worth Pakistan rupee (PKR) 10 lakh has been recovered from the suspects.
“As the restoration of the Ganesh mandir was carried out by the government soon after the attack, the Supreme Court had ordered that the attackers would pay the restoration amount from their own pocket,” the official further added. He also said that the restoration of the temple from inside has been completed but work on the boundary of the temple is underway.
On July 25, a resident from Bhong district reported to police that he witnessed a boy passing urine in the library of the seminary and the boy fled when he tried to catch him. The boy, who was aged between eight and 10 years, was arrested on July 26 and was produced before the court. The boy was then sent to judicial remand but was released on July 28 on post-arrest bail.
The Punjab province police registered an FIR against 150 suspects under terrorism and other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code for vandalising the temple. Pakistan chief justice Gulzar Ahmed criticised the police and said that their inaction brought shame to the nation.
“Imagine what mental agony the desecration incident had brought to the members of the Hindu community,” the Pakistan chief justice observed. The incident also drew sharp criticism from India as well as from the minority community leaders in Pakistan. The Pakistan parliament adopted a resolution later condemning the attack.
