Massive protests erupted on the streets of Ratlam’s Jaora area in Madhya Pradesh after a severed head of a cow was found in the premises of Lord Jagannath temple on Friday. Following protests by Hindus, police arrested two accused in the case, and their houses were demolished.
The incident came to notice after the priest of the Jagannath Mahadev temple in Jaora of Ratlam district reached the temple in the morning. As soon as reaching the temple, the priest spotted the bleeding head of a cow’s calf on the campus. He immediately informed the police and local residents, and Hindu groups and local devotees reached the temple soon. The incident provoked outrage among Hindus, with Hindu organisations shutting down the market of Jaora and blocking the four-lane road.
A large group of protestors marched to the Jaora police station, demanding immediate arrest and public prosecution of the accused. Police and administration officials, including CSP Durgesh Armo, DIG Manoj Singh, and district collector Rajesh Batham, tried to calm down the protestors. However, when it didn’t work and the crowd refused to leave, police had to resort to firing tear gas shells and executing lathi charge to control the situation.
In the meanwhile, police started an investigation immediately, and identified two accused persons from CCTV footage. The police then reached their residences and detained them, who have been identified as Zakir and Shakir.
The Hindu groups had insisted on taking out a procession to the houses of the accused after they were identified, but the police didn’t allow them to do so.
जब सड़क पर उतरी इतनी भीड़ तो पुलिस को चलाना पड़ा बुलडोजर, नहीं तो हो सकता था बवाल ! MP Tak#ratlam #ratlamnews #ratlamtemple pic.twitter.com/etzoisCFBW
— MP Tak (@MPTakOfficial) June 14, 2024
As per ASP Rakesh Khakha, CCTV footage showed that two miscreants arrived on a motorcycle and threw pieces of beef into the temple at 2.41 AM on the nigh between 13 and 14 June. After that, a case was filed under relevant sections and the two culprits were nabbed. The ASP said that they are being questioned to learn if they were provoked by someone else for the act.
ASP Rakesh Khakha added that allegations of unauthorised constructions in the houses of the accused were found, and therefore the constructions were bulldozed with the cooperation of the district administration. Senior police officials were present during the demolition of the houses.
The Jagannath Mahadev temple was purified on Friday evening and the entire temple was cleaned.
In view of the situation in the city, a large number of policemen have been deployed on the spot to prevent any further escalation. A curfew-like situation prevails in the city, with police deployed at every intersection. City Qazi Hafiz Bhuru Bhaijaan has condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the culprits. He has appealed to the people to maintain peace.
