A worker at the Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad was arrested on Saturday after a video of him thrashing a 14-year-old boy went viral, police said.
Shringi Narayan Yadav apparently got enraged by the sight of a Muslim boy drinking water from a tap in the premises of the temple.
In the video, Mr. Yadav could be seen asking the boy his and his father’s names and started thrashing him when he said he came inside to drink water.
The boy’s father, a daily wage worker, told reporters they were returning home when the boy felt thirsty and stopped to drink water.
Iraj Raja, SP (Rural), said when the video clip came to their notice, they arrested Shringi and his aide Shivanand, who had been identified as the person who recorded the video.
“After verifying the video, a case has been filed against Shringi and Shivanand under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the IPC and Sections of the IT Act). On Sunday, they were sent to jail. “The Sections we invoked are appropriate. Otherwise they would have got bail from the police station,” said Mr. Raja.
In the video, Shringi could be seen twisting the arm of the boy and abusing him. As the boy cries in pain, he shoves the boy to the ground and kicks him repeatedly. “Badhiya se dono ka chehra aana chahiye [our faces should be clearly visible]”, Shringi could be heard telling his aide making the video before thrashing the boy.
The police said Shringi was from Bihar and had been working at the temple for the last three months. He described himself as a disciple of Narshinghanand Saraswati, caretaker of the temple.
A look at his social media account gives an insight into his thoughts against the minoritiy community and violent approach. “He is a graduate and seems to be radicalised,” said Mr. Raja.
He said there was no evidence of the charge of the temple management that the boy was spitting and urinating in the premises. “Even if it were true, nobody has the right to beat him up,” he said.
Locals said the atmosphere around the temple changed after Mr. Saraswati took over around a decade back. “Before that, it was a symbol of composite culture. There is a pond inside the premises whose water is said to have healing power. People of all communities used to take bath in it,” said Bobby Saifi , a social activist in Dasna, adding it was after Mr. Saraswati took over that a board was put on the ancient temple that said the entry of Muslims was prohibited. “He [Mr. Saraswati] used an outsider. No local person could have committed such a deplorable act,” he said.
Mr. Raja, who was posted in Meerut earlier, said Mr. Saraswati had a tendency to make virulent comments against the minority community.
In Meerut, he said, he was involved in encroachment of land and an FIR was registered in the case. “There is no direct involvement of Mr. Saraswati in the case. The FIR has been registered by the police. If we get any complaint from the family, his name could be added,” he said, adding policemen have been posted at the residence of the boy.
On the board barring entry of Muslims, Mr. Raja said legally it was not permitted but sometimes it becomes a matter of faith.
On Sunday, in a social media post, Mr. Saraswati said he was feeling ashamed of his weakness as his lions were sent to jail and he was sleeping comfortably.
The incident has come after a couple of incidents of spitting on naans by Muslim roti makers during the wedding functions in the region. A senior police official said such incidents rise when elections are round the corner. “We are careful that they don’t flare up into communal tension,” he said.
