Hailakandi Temple vandalisation: SP says not a communal issue, "boys involved are Hindus"

Today morning people in Hailakandi’s Lala area saw a local Shiva temple in a vandalised state. Immediately, they resorted to protest and the road near Sinhala tea estate got blocked. Local police officers, as well as additional SP from Hailakandi, rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.

The locals alleged that miscreants belonging to the Muslim community intentionally vandalised the temple to disturb peace and harmony in the locality. The Additional SP assured that Police will do a thorough investigation and the culprit will be nabbed, however, the situation kept getting worse and that is when Police had to use force to uproot the blockade.

Hailakandi SP, Pabindra Kumar Nath ruled out all the allegations brought by the locals and said, “It is not a communal issue at all, all three boys involved in the incident are Hindus.”

Explaining the incident, SP Nath said, “Three Hindu boys from the Singala tea estate went to the temple during night hours and a scuffle broke between them. In the process, a Trishul got bent and earthen pots and lamps were broken. The temple was not vandalised as such, apart from the Trishul and the lamps, everything else is fine.”

He added, “After the initial investigation, we identified three individuals who were suspected to be involved in the incident. We detained them and during interrogation, they confessed that they got into a scuffle last night in a drunken state during which the Trishul and Lamp got broken.”

Based on the confession, Hailakandi Police has arrested, 19-year-old Pappu Rabidas son of Tiala Rabidas a resident of Singala Basti (C/W LALA P.S C/No. 237/2020 U/S 457/295/295A/269/270/34 IPC).