Gorakhnath temple attack part of terror plot? Here’s what UP Police said

Over a day after police personnel was attacked while he was posted at the Gorakhnath Temple in Uttar Pradesh, the UP police have said that the attack can be part of a major conspiracy and “could be called a terrorist incident”.

A 29-year-old IIT Bombay graduate named Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi, who belongs to the city of Gorakhpur, attacked a PAC personnel who was posted at the Gorakhnath temple in UP with a sharp-edged object, the police had said.

The police had also said that Abbasi had attacked the police personnel while raising religious slogans loudly and trying to enter the premises of the temple forcibly. Two PAC personnel, Gopal Gaur and Anil Paswan were seriously injured in the incident and were rushed to the hospital.

Abbasi was also injured during the altercation after his attack was foiled by civil police constable Anurag Rajput who subdued the man and arrested him, according to the FIR. A report has been filed against Abbasi against several sections of the IPC, including an attempt to murder, creating enmity between two groups, and the Arms Act.

According to media reports, the Uttar Pradesh police have said that the attack at the Gorakhnath Temple was part of a terror plot. As per The Indian Express, ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar has stated that the incident is “part of a serious conspiracy and on the basis of collected evidence, could be called a terror incident.”

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest of the Gorakhnath Temple but was not present on the premises when the incident took place. Kumar also said that there was no “breach of security” at the temple.

The investigation has now been transferred to the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) which will be running the probe surrounding the incident. Further details regarding the incident are still awaited, and the investigation is underway.

Muneer Ahmed, who is the father of Abbasi, had said after the incident that his son has not been keeping well for a few years and has been “undergoing treatment” for depression. Ahmed said that Abbasi had been “wanting to commit suicide” which is why he went to a high-security area.