Alleged forced possession of temple: Hindus seek registration of case against legislators

ABBOTTABAD: The Hindu community has filed an application in the court of District and Sessions Judge Mansehra seeking registration of a case against the ruling party’s minority Senator Sardar Guru Gurdeep Singh and MPA Ravi Kumar also of PTI, who have allegedly forcibly taken possession of Shawana Temple at Ghandian in Mansehra.

The case has been filed through Zafar Iqbal Advocate under section 22-A of the Criminal Procedure Code.

In the application, the applicants Sham Lal and Sajin Lal said that they were citizens of Pakistan and belonged to the Hindu faith. In the entire Hazara Division, Shawala Temple/ Shive Temple is the sole place of worship of Hindus.

Sham Lal claimed that he was the chairman of Shive Temple Society and was responsible for looking after the temple. The applicant claimed that on 19 March 2021 when he along with his family went to the Shive Temple, Senator Sardar Gurdeep Singh of PTI Islamabad and KP MPA Ravi Kumar were present at the site along with the police constable to guard the temple. He said that they were refused entry by stating that the temple was their private property. They also uprooted the Shive Temple Society Board affixed on the site and took it along with them.

Sham Lal claimed that when they approached SHO Baffa on the same day and verbally informed him of the incident, the SHO told him to come back the next day. He said that when he and his son went to the SHO the next day he had registered a fabricated FIR and provided them a copy. The complainant claimed that the SHO called them back and forcibly took the FIR copy from them and warned them not to go to the temple.