Silchar: Security has been increased in Barman Basti village under the Ratabari police station in Assam’s Karimganj district after a 200-year-old temple was destroyed by unidentified miscreants on Monday.
According to reports, the incident occurred in Barman Basti, about 120 km from Silchar town, on Monday night when a group of miscreants torched an ancient temple (Shiv Mandir and Narayan Mandir). The news quickly spread, drawing a crowd to the temple, demanding severe punishment for those responsible for its destruction.
Dullabcherra Mandal BJP President Jitendra Lal Roy strongly condemned the incident and urged authorities to swiftly apprehend the culprits. He also called for measures to prevent further escalation.
District Commissioner Mridul Yadav and Superintendent of Police Partha Pratim Das arrived at the scene and conducted an initial investigation. Following that, paramilitary forces were deployed in Barman Basti to maintain law and order.
A source stated that three gallons were recovered by the police from the temple, and it is presumed that fuel was brought in the gallons to burn the temple. The police are investigating the matter from various angles, and a manhunt is underway to apprehend all those involved, the source said.
Another source mentioned that two men have been detained in connection with the incident; however, the police did not make any statement on this until the filing of this news report.
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When contacted, Ratabari BJP legislator Bijoy Malakar told EastMojo on Wednesday that the temple was heavily damaged, and he’s committed to taking action to expedite its reconstruction. He claimed members of one community burnt down the temple to capture indigenous lands.
District BJP President Subrata Bhattacharjee demanded that all those involved in destroying the temple be arrested as soon as possible and sought the intervention of Superintendent of Police Partha Pratim Das.
SP Partha Pratim Das stated that a probe is underway into the matter and appealed to the general public not to fall prey to rumours related to the incident. He also mentioned that the situation in the area is normal.
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