On 28th June, a young priest at a local temple in Faridabad, Ravi Bhagat, was brutally assaulted and his throat was slashed using a knife by Islamists identified as Iqbal, Mehtab and their accomplices. The incident took place outside the Kali Mata Temple located in Janata Colony in the Mujesar Police Station area of Faridabad. As per reports, the assailants chanted religious slogans including “Sar Tan Se Juda” at the time of the attack. Ravi Bhagat was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
A case has been registered by the police in the matter and an investigation is underway. Ravi Bhagat manages the temple and takes care of the rituals. On the night of the attack, he was sleeping on a cot outside the temple. The attackers approached him and started an argument. Soon, it escalated and they restrained him and began slashing his neck with a knife. The assailants were allegedly chanting “Sar Tan Se Juda” slogans at the time of the attack. Following the attack, they fled the scene.
A relative of Bhagat said in a statement that he spent the day providing water to people at a local water stall and performing temple rituals before going to sleep outside the temple. His 5-year-old daughter was sleeping nearby when the incident happened. Knives and pointed objects were used in the attack. His daughter, who woke up due to the argument, started screaming which alerted the nearby residents. They rushed to the temple leading the attackers to flee the scene. Apart from Iqbal and Mehtab, individuals with surnames Shashi and Wadhwa were reportedly involved in the attack.
Ravi Bhagat’s condition remained critical as he was stabbed multiple times. By the time he was taken to the hospital, Bhagat had lost a significant amount of blood. Bittu Bajrangi, a Hindu leader, announced a Hindu Panchayat at the incident site in Faridabad.
The police said in a statement that it was yet to confirm if there was any religious motivation behind the attack. However, they are exploring all possible aspects of the case. The suspects in the case are absconding and police teams are conducting raids to apprehend them. Additional police forces have been deployed in the region to maintain law and order.
