The situation in the region, despite initial tensions, has since calmed down
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – A priest at a local temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district has been found guilty of breaking a Ganesh idol and falsely implicating two Muslim men for the act, police said on Wednesday.
A police official said Krich Ram, the priest at a temple in Taulihawah village, filed a complaint at Kathela Samaymata police station on Tuesday, accusing Mannan and Sonu, both Muslims, of vandalising the idol and threatening him to stop his religious activities, reports said on Thursday.
The complaint reportedly emphasised on the religious identities of the accused, alleging they also assaulted his wife.
Reacting immediately, local police registered an FIR against the two men, charging them with causing harm and defiling a place of worship.
However, subsequent investigations revealed a different narrative. Police visited the scene and interviewed witnesses, particularly children aged 8-10, who disclosed that it was the priest himself who had broken the idol. Based on this testimony, the authorities interrogated the priest, who eventually confessed to fabricating the allegations against the Muslim men due to a prior dispute.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Darvesh Kumar informed that legal action is now being pursued against the priest for his false accusations.
The situation in the region, despite initial tensions, has since calmed down, the police said.
