Religious idol damaged in accident, not attack: Sanghar Police

Conflicting witness accounts say idol toppled amid rush, broken by fleeing suspect

KARACHI:

The Sanghar Police denied reports on Tuesday of an attack on an idol at a religious gathering held in the limits of Khipro Police Station in Jhudo town. Dispelling speculation on social media, eyewitnesses corroborated the police's account in a video statement.

A statue of Hindu deity Krishna placed in a religious gathering in Jhudo was broken, it emerged when pictures of it surfaced on social media. A video of a purported eyewitness made rounds on social media, in which a woman alleged that a man had attacked the idol before fleeing.

However, the district police said the holy statue was broken by accident amid the rush of devotees at the gathering.

According to Sanghar SSP Farrukh Lanjar, the organisers of the outdoor event had signed an undertaking assuring that coronavirus-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) would be followed and the number of participants would be restricted to 300. But, this was not upheld and a large number of people participated in the event. Stalls selling merchandise were set up and massive crowds thronged to the event, giving it the shape of a mela.

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"Meanwhile, a Moorti [idol] placed there fell down due to the rush of people," said SSP Lanjar. News of the fallen holy statue spread and the road was temporarily blocked for traffic. In a video statement two purported eyewitnesses, identified as Gianchand and Mann Singh, told the police that they had seen a woman pushed by the massive crowd accidentally bump into the idol, toppling it over. It was damaged in the fall, they stated.

"I was present when some lady fell on the Moorti due to the rush," said Ghianchand, while Singh attributed the alleged accident to mismanagement at the event. The video statement was also circulated on social media.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2021.