On Sunday, 31st March, Rajasthan Police detained three Muslim juveniles for throwing pieces of meat in Lakshmiranayan and Bholeshwar Temple in North Jaipur’s Bhatta Basti Police station area. The court ordered the boys to be released to their parent’s custody as they were between the ages of 10 and 12. The children informed the police that they watched a video on the internet that claimed if they threw pieces of meat in the temple, Hindus would faint.
The police said, “The Muslim boys wanted to do a ‘practical’ and see if Hindus faint or not”.
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— Rajasthan Police HelpDesk (@RajPoliceHelp) March 30, 2024
A copy of the complaint was shared on social media. In the complaint, it was mentioned that when the devotees noticed pieces of meat in the temple premises after 10 AM Aarti. Locals gathered at the temple and they searched the premises and found more pieces on the temple’s roof.
The incident took place on 30th March and 70-year-old Olf Damyanti filed a complaint with the Housing Board Society in Sector 2. In her complaint, she said that when she went to the Lakshmi Narayan Temple to offer prayers in the morning, she noticed pieces of meat on the premises. There were pieces stuck to the wall as well. Soon, people gathered, and police were informed about the incident.
The police initiated an investigation and convinced the agitated Hindu community members to return home. An FIR was registered in the matter. The Hindu community members later cleaned the temple and sprinkled Gangajal for purification.
As the matter was communally sensitive, police took swift action. During the investigation, they found out that three Muslim juveniles boys between the ages of 10-12 were behind the incident. They were detained and presented in the court. Considering their ages, the court ordered the children to release them in their parents’ custody with a warning.
OpIndia contacted the concerned police station for more details. Speaking on the matter, the concerned police official said, “Three Muslim boys were behind the incident. We detained them and presented them in the court. Considering their ages, the court released them. The boys belonged to impoverished families, and their parents were shocked that they had indulged in such an activity. They were crying when we detained them. Though no adult was involved in the matter, it is a matter of concern that the online content influenced them.”
Reports suggest that after watching the video, the children went to a meat shop and collected meat pieces from the garbage. They took the pieces to the temple and threw them in the temple premises at night.
Throwing meat pieces in Hindu temples is not uncommon. There have been several incidents in the past where miscreants threw meat pieces in temples. In July 2022, a similar incident happened in Jharkhand’s Rampur village of Lohardaga district. Reportedly, people belonging to another community hurled a piece of meat inside the premises of the local Shiv temple there. In September 2022, pieces of meat were thrown inside the temple compound in the Shamli district.
