Dehradun police on Wednesday, 13 October, arrested a person named Saddam for desecrating a Hindu temple in the city. In CCTV footage, the miscreant was seen urinating outside the temple and throwing stones.
Dehradun police issued a statement on X informing that Saddam is a resident of Mehunwala, who has been arrested for committing objectionable acts outside the Kali Temple in Harrawala and damaging glasses of the temple by throwing stones. The police added that the accused is mentally deranged, and is undergoing treatment at the mental hospital in Selaqui, Dehradun.
However, they are collecting detailed information about his medical condition. Saddam is being produced before the court, the police added.
The incident took place in the night between 11 and 12 December and was discovered by devotees on Tuesday morning, as they found the glasses of the windows broken. When they checked the CCTV footage, the crime was revealed.
देहरादून के हर्रावाला काली मन्दिर का दरवाजा तोड़कर मन्दिर को अपवित्र करने वाले अभियुक्त को किया गिरफ्तार।#UttarakhandPolice @DehradunPolice @ANINewsUP pic.twitter.com/4b11BbF2CS
— Uttarakhand Police (@uttarakhandcops) December 13, 2023
In the surveillance footage, an individual, characterised by a substantial beard, and donning a skull cap could be seen urinating at the gate of the temple. After urinating, he threw stones at the temple, damaging glasses. After that he fled the spot.
As soon as the incident came to light on Tuesday morning, members of Hindu organizations gathered outside the temple and staged a protest. They demanded the immediate arrest of the accused.
A case was registered in the Doiwala police station on the complaint of Harrawala councilor Vinod Kumar, and efforts had started to nab the accused based on CCTV footage. The accused was identified with the help of the video, which helped in nabbing him.
SSP Ajay Singh said that when the temple priests and devotees arrived on Tuesday morning to offer prayers, they saw the broken glass and checked the CCTV camera recording and came to know about the entire incident.
After identifying the person in the footage, police then scanned footage of around 200-250 CCTV cameras in the area, and located Saddam. He is the son of Arif Ali, and resident of Naya Nagar under Mehunwala Police Station. His family provided documents showing that he is being treated at the Selaqui Mental Hospital.
The neighbours said that Saddam is often kept restrained by tying with ropes due to his mental condition, as he has a tendency to roam around on the street. The police believe he did he act due to his mental state, and it was not an deliberate act of desecrating a temple. However, the SSP said the probe is on and all angles will be examined.
Saddam has been booked under sections 295, 153A and 427 of the IPC. The SSP said that the police is maintaining a vigil in the area given the sensitive nature of the issue.
