UP: IIT graduate attacks two constables at Gorakhnath temple; ATS to probe
Gorakhpur/Lucknow, Apr 4: An IIT graduate attacked two policemen with a sharp-edged weapon at a gate of the famed Gorakhnath temple and tried to barge into premises before being overpowered, Uttar Pradesh officials said Monday terming it a "terror incident".
The attack occurred on Sunday evening at the temple which is under high security as it is frequently visited by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is the head seer.
The accused, identified as Murtaza Abbasi, was arrested and has been sent to judicial remand for two weeks, police said and alleged that he tried to forcibly enter the temple, which was teeming with devotees during the Navratri festival, after raising the religious slogan.
Videos shared on social media showed the man brandishing a large sickle and roaming around on the premises, as some took cover while others threw stones at him. Soon a group a devotees along with security personnel surrounded him and pinned him to the ground.
Murtaza was earlier taken to hospital and produced in a local court on Monday. His father Munir Abbasi said Murtaza belonged to the 2015 batch of IIT-Mumbai and was a chemical engineer.
Speaking to a TV channel, he claimed that his son was mentally unstable and that this should be taken into account.
In a statement, the UP Home Department said, "The attack on police jawans at Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur is a part of deep conspiracy, and based on the available facts, it can be said that it was a terror incident."
ADG, Gorakhpur zone, Akhil Kumar said Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) constables Gopal Gaur and Anil Paswan were injured as they tried to stop the accused who went to a PAC post near gate no 1 and attacked the security personnel.
Chief Minister Adityanath visited the injured constables at the BRD Medical College hospital. He has announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh for the two jawans and constable Anurag Rajput for foiling the attack.
Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said the documents recovered from Abbasi are quite sensational .
He said that if the accused had managed to enter the temple, the devotees would have been harmed and the situation could have gone out of control.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said in Lucknow that the incident will be investigated by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
Directions have been given to UP ATS and UP STF to work jointly to probe the incident, he said
SSP Gorakhpur Vipin Tada said that a case under various serious sections including section 307 IPC (attempt to murder) and section 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act have been registered against the attacker.
Details emerging in the interrogation of the accused during questioning will be investigated by five teams, he said.
Police teams are being sent to other districts to verify information provided by the attacker till now, the SSP said, adding that things recovered from his possession, his family, relatives and background and the nearby CCTV cameras are being checked.
Action will be taken on the basis of the investigation report, he said.
The attacker had tried to enter the temple premises with bad intention, which was neutralised by the brave jawans of the PAC and police, the state Home Department said.
The Gorakhnath temple is the highest Peeth of the Nath sect and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath is the Mahant of this Peeth.
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Skipper Curran, bowlers lead PBKS to a five-wicket win over RR
Guwahati, May 15: Skipper Sam Curran played the lead act hitting a well-paced fifty and taking two wickets, as Punjab Kings consigned Rajasthan Royals to a five-wicket defeat in their IPL match here on Wednesday.
The target was a mere 145, but Kings made heavy weather of it on a sluggish track here but Curran (63 not out, 41b, 5x4, 3x6) had a calm head and skills to lift them to their fifth win of the season. PBKS made 145/5 in 18.5 overs.
The Englishman received good support from Jitesh Sharma (22, 20b) as the pair added 63 runs in a fluent fifth wicket partnership.
For Royals, it was their fourth defeat on the trot, but they remained second on the table with 16 points with a qualification to the playoffs to boot with.
The Kings’ chase began on a shaky note as they lost Prabhsimran Singh in the first over itself to Trent Boult.
But bigger jolts were in store as an impressive Avesh Khan (2/28) scalped two wickets in the fifth over.
The right-arm pacer first plucked the important wicket of Rilee Rossouw, who played some strong shots in his 13-ball 22, and then jettisoned in-form Shashank Singh for a two-ball naught.
Shashank failed to connect a fuller, straighter one from Avesh while attempting a flick, and the 141 kmph delivery thudded on his bat. Shashank did not even bother to use DRS as he walked away.
Punjab gained some ground through the alliance between Curran and Jitesh, who smoked R Ashwin for two sixes.
Curran too gave a dose of punishment to the veteran offie, lofting him for a wonderful six over extra cover.
But the blossoming stand was snapped by Yuzvendra Chahal (2/31), leaving PBKS at 111 for five in the 16th over.
However, Curran and Ashutosh Sharma (17 not out, 11 balls) knocked off the remaining runs without further drama.
Earlier, despite a well-tuned 48 from local hero Riyan Parag, RR struggled against an array of accurate bowlers on a rather slow pitch, meandering to a sub-par 144 for nine.
R Ashwin (28, 19b, 3x4, 1x6) and Parag (48, 34, 6x4) tried to accelerate during their 50-run stand for the fourth wicket but it could only bring in a temporary momentum for RR.
In fact, lethargy had set in very early in the Rajasthan innings after the early loss of Jaiswal, who chopped a Curran (2/24) delivery back on to his stumps.
Sanju Samson (18), who went past 500-run in a season for the first time in his IPL career, and Tom-Kohler Cadmore (18, 23b) stitched 36 runs for the second wicket but took six overs for it.
But with Curran and Arshdeep finding a hint of swing and maintaining a good line, scoring was not an easy proposition for the RR batters.
Eventually, Samson, who tried a hopping cut off pacer Nathan Ellis, gave a simple catch to Rahul Chahar at point in the seventh over.
Cadmore too returned to the dugout in the next over, as his almighty heave off leg-spinner Chahar (2/26) could not progress beyond Jitesh in the deep.
Those twin dismissals actually paved the way for the best phase in the Royals’ innings as Ashwin and Parag pressed their foot on the right pedal.
Ashwin displayed his batting skills, smashing Chahar for 17 runs in the 12th over that included a sequence of 6, 4, 4 and the first four was a stunning reverse scoop over backward point.
But he could not further extend his innings, lofting Arshdeep to Shashank.
Parag, usually a free-flowing batter, had to curb his flair in front of a hugely adoring home crowd because of the regular fall of wickets at the other end.
But a late cut off Curran that sped to third man stood as a testament of his ability and timing as he also moved past the 500-run mark for the season, before getting trapped in front of the wicket by Harshal Patel.
However, apart from conquering those little peaks the RR batters failed to slip into the top gear consistently.
