The incident raises questions about security protocols, with senior police officers reviewing arrangements at the temple complex
NEW DELHI — An elderly Kashmiri man, claimed by his family as mentally unstable, was detained at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on Saturday for attempting to offer namaz, sparking concerns about temple security.
The 55-year-old Abu Ahad Sheikh, reportedly from Shopian in Jammu & Kashmir, entered the temple complex through Gate D1 and sat near Sita Rasoi, allegedly preparing to pray. His family claims lunacy, providing medical records from Srinagar Medical College as evidence.
Security personnel intervened immediately, and Sheikh was handed over to local police. He reportedly told investigators he was travelling to Ajmer in Rajasthan, and items like cashews and raisins were found in his possession. The incident has raised questions about security protocols, with senior police officers reviewing arrangements at the Ram Mandir complex
Sheikh’s family has claimed that he has not been in the right state of mind and has documentation of his earlier instances of mental instability. “We were not aware of his trip to Ayodhya. He has a tendency to wander off like this sometimes because of his condition,” media report quoted a Sheikh family member as saying.
The temple complex is demarcated as a highly secure zone. The responsibility of the security of the complex lies in the hands of specially trained forces and different levels of observation. Nonetheless, Sheikh managed to enter the complex through one of the gates, which has in turn, triggered suspicions of loopholes in the observation process carried out there. An investigation has been initiated to determine the procedure followed by Sheikh to access the secure zone in the complex.
Initial reports had suggested that three persons were detained from the temple campus.
However, Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Grover clarified that only one individual has been taken into custody. “We have only one person with us. He was attempting to offer namaz and was detained by security personnel,” the SSP said.
According to police, the man entered the Ram Temple premises through Gate D1. As per existing arrangements, visitors are subjected to security checks, but identity documents such as Aadhaar cards are not verified at entry points. Officials said this may have been used to gain access to the campus.
During initial interrogations, Sheikh reportedly told the police that he wanted to go to Ajmer, a major pilgrimage destination. This aspect is being investigated as part of the general investigation into his movements and possible motives. The police investigate his travel history, question him to know whether anybody was involved with him, and assess whether this incident is part of an isolated or a bigger problem.
Although the incident at Ayodhya is the first of its kind in the context, other religious spots in India have also been witnessing security and handling-related issues. At the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, the emphasis has been on controlling the flow of the devotees and improving the security mechanisms in place, with the addition of hundreds of CCTV cameras among others.
The type of challenges experienced is also different. While Sabarimala faces greater logistics issues related to large numbers of devotees and how to restrict entry with counterfeit documents, Ayodhya faces challenges related to security on the periphery and inside a significant religious site.
