Sindh

Man arrested for vandalising Hindu temple

Suspect used a hammer to damage idols at a mandir in old city area

Sameer Mandhro December 21, 2021

The temple complex in Haveli Bagh-e-Sardaran houses three temples and two gurdwaras. PHOTO: Express.

KARACHI:

Police on Monday arrested a man for allegedly damaging statues at a Hindu temple in the old city area of Narainpura.

The incident, according to the FIR available with The Express Tribune, took place at 6:15pm. It said that a man identified as Waleed Muhammad Shabeer attacked the statues.

The complainant, a resident of the area, Mukesh Kumar, said that his wife saw the suspect attacking the idols with a hammer. The area residents present around the temple caught the miscreant and handed him over to the police.

The Hindu residents staged a protest in the area and outside the police station, demanding the government to provide security to Hindus residents. They also chanted slogans against the attackers, saying they were not feeling secure in the area after the incident.

“Everyone is under trauma after the incident,” said a resident. “We are labroures and very poor people. We do not harm anyone and always pray people will respect our worship places too,” he added.

Police and Rangers reached the spot immediately and cordoned off the area.

Instructing the South district’s police, Sindh Minister for Minority Affairs Gyanchand Israni said that FIR should be registered and the culprits should be arrested. He said that such incidents create unrest in the society. “We condemn such attacks,” he said.

Narainpur is one of the localities of the old town which is known for teeming Hindu population. “Some of our Muslim friends living in the area have also condemned this attack,” another resident told The Express Tribune. He also informed that he has not seen such kind of attack before.

It was not clear the motive behind the attack. Police have started probing the incident and assured the Hindu residents of the area that complete security will be provided to them.

The videos of broken holy statues were being circulating on the social media.

Several activists and the politicians also condemned the attack and demanded the government to arrest all the persons involved in the temple attack.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Member of National Assembly Kheeal Das Kohistani condemning the temple said that one out of two attackers has been held by the police. “No religion allows such kind of acts,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2021.