SC orders ‘immediate arrest’ of RYK temple attackers

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the “immediate arrest” of the culprits involved in an attack on a Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan as well as its restoration, as it lambasted the Punjab police for failing to protect the worship places of religious minorities.

A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed took up the case on the request of Pakistan Hindu Council Chairperson MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani – who was also present in the court – after a mob vandalised the Shree Ganesh temple in Bhong village of Rahim Yar Khan on Wednesday.

A viral video clip showed people armed with clubs and rods storming the temple and smashing its doors, windows, lights, fans and religious idols – outraged over a local court granting bail to an eight-year-old Hindu boy — who had allegedly urinated at a seminary in the village. The mob also blocked the Sukkur-Multan Motorway.

During the hearing, the SC said the government should recover money for the repair and restoration of the temple from the people involved in the vandalism.

The apex court also grilled the police and district administration over their failure to take timely action.

“What were the police and local authorities doing at the time of the attack on the temple?” the CJP asked IGP Inam Ghani.

The Punjab police chief responded that the assistant commissioner and assistant superintendent police were present on the scene.

However, they focused on the “protection of at least 70 residences of the Hindu community” located around the temple, he added.

Justice Gulzar said that if the administration – the commissioner, deputy commissioner, and the district police officer – could not perform their duties, they should be removed from the respective posts.

The CJP added that police officials did nothing while the temple was being vandalised. “The incident has tarnished the country’s image across the world.”

The police chief informed the bench that terrorism clauses had been added to the FIR.

At this, Justice Qazi Amin asked if the police had arrested anyone in the case. The IG responded that police had yet to make arrests in the case.

This prompted Justice Amin to say that the police had failed to perform their duty.

Justice Gulzar also chided the IGP, saying the police had not made any arrests despite the passage of three days.

The CJP said it seemed that the police lacked enthusiasm. He added that had the police been professional, the issue would have been resolved by now.

The top judge wondered as to what would have been the reaction of Muslims had a mosque been demolished in a similar manner.

He also reflected on what the Hindu community had felt when their temple was being demolished.

Read: 12 K-P policemen dismissed in Karak Hindu temple attack case

Justice Amin noted that the police would reach an agreement with the accused and they would be released on bail.

He added that the temple should be reconstructed with government money. The court further said peace committees should be set up to promote interfaith harmony.

Additional Attorney General Sohail Mahmood told the court that Prime Minister Imran Khan had also taken notice of the incident.

During the hearing, the chief justice criticised the police for registering a case against an eight-year-old boy and arresting him for allegedly committing blasphemy.

“Does an eight-year-old child know the difference between a Hindu and a Muslim?” the CJP asked.

He directed the IGP to dismiss the SHO responsible for arresting the child over alleged blasphemy.

The IGP told the judge that the SHO would be suspended and face a departmental inquiry.

The CJP responded that the government officials enjoyed suspension as they still received their salaries.

The top judge also grilled Punjab’s bureaucracy.

He added that bureaucrats “do not do any work as it they are more concerned about enjoying their lifestyle”.

Justice Gulzar said nobody knew how the provincial administration worked.

He further asked how the Punjab government evaluated the performance of civil servants.

The Punjab chief secretary informed the court that the government was making every effort to create religious harmony.

He claimed that hatred was spread during Muharram and other such religious events.

He also blamed the social media for an increase in hateful content.

The CJP observed that the Karak temple case, where action was taken by police, was an exception, while in several other incidents nothing was done despite court orders.

“Our police and administration started working after the incident [temple attack],” the chief justice said, urging the need for a system that stopped such events before they happened.

However, the police chief assured the court that all people will be brought to justice in the case.

He said there was a mosque, an imambargah and a temple in Bhong. He added that an Alam (religious flag) at the Imambargah was also burnt for which an FIR was being registered.

“Three cases have been registered for closure of temple, Imambargah and motorway,” the IGP said, adding that all the accused would be arrested with video evidence.

At this, MNA Vankwani said cleric Abdul Razzaq Soomro, who had incited the mob, had not been arrested yet.

“An eight-year-old boy urinated in his own clothes after he was beaten up at the seminary,” he said, adding that the details of the incident were distorted to incite hatred.