NEW DELHI, Jan 10: A man from Jammu and Kashmir was detained when he was allegedly making preparations to offer Namaz inside the Ayodhya Ram Mandir complex. The UP authorities said the man has been identified as Ahad Sheikh, a resident of Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sheikh, 55, allegedly entered the heavily secured premises of the temple on Friday and later sat near the Sita Rasoi area, preparing to offer namaz near the Sita Rasoi area, according to Superintendent of Police (Security) Balramchari Dubey.
While he was “preparing to offer namaz”, several onlookers and security officials intervened and he was handed to the police. He also allegedly raised some slogans inside the temple complex when the security forces intervened, the official said.
His family said Sheikh has been mentally ill and showed shared medical records from the psychiatry department of Srinagar Medical College as evidence. “We didn’t know anything about it. He is totally unsound,” Sheikh’s son, Imran, said at their residence in Shopian.
The UP police are investigating the circumstances, and questioning the man to ascertain the details. Officials are also examining his travel history, motive behind visit to Ayodhya, and whether any other individuals are connected to the incident. During preliminary searches, food items like cashews and raisins were found in his possession. Sheikh told investigators that he was travelling to Ajmer. It remains unclear how he reached Ayodhya.
Meanwhile, the security officials and intelligence agencies are reviewing how the man entered the premises of the grand temple despite the heightened security measures. There has been no official word from the Ayodhya district and UP state administrations on the incident.
(Manas Dasgupta)
