Members of Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal along with locals on Saturday morning held a massive protest over vandalism at Tejaji temple on Tonk Road in Jaipur’s Sanganer area, police said. According to locals, unidentified miscreants damaged the temple’s idol around 3 AM. As news spread, a crowd gathered, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible. In protest, people blocked Tonk Road for nearly three hours and burnt tyres near the temple. They also tried to set a petrol pump on fire, but police took prompt action and removed them. “A catastrophe was averted by a quick action of the police,” DCP East, Tejasvini Gautam said, adding that at least 20 people were detained.
Despite strong efforts to disperse the gathering peacefully, mild force had to be eventually used to clear the blockade. Given the severity of the incident, over 10 police teams were deployed to investigate the matter.
Later, at a press conference in the evening, the DCP revealed details of the arrested suspect.The suspect was identified as Siddharth Singh (34), a native of Bikaner, who currently resides in Rajapark area of the state capital.
Police checked CCTV footage and identified a suspicious car near the temple at approximately 2:30 AM. By tracing its route through nearly 100 cameras, investigators tracked the vehicle to the InterContinental Hotel on Tonk Road. The car was linked to Siddharth Singh, who had been visiting a friend at the hotel. According to the DCP, Singh was returning to his place on Friday night after having liquor with his friend when he stopped near the temple and vandalised the temple in a fit of rage over financial losses.
“He stopped his vehicle and entered the temple. After spending some time there, he lifted the idol and threw it. Singh said that he was disturbed due to financial losses,” DCP Gautam said, adding that the accused was identified on the basis of CCTV footage. Upon his arrest, Siddharth confessed to the crime. His phone contained a photograph of the temple taken at 3:18 AM, supporting his confession.Siddharth realised the gravity of his actions only the next morning when his fiancée informed him about the incident and the protests, police said.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
