An IIT graduate attacked two policemen on Sunday outside the Gorakhnath temple, in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Gorakhpur. The incident was caught on video and he was seen waving what appears to be a dagger. The assailant tried to break into the temple while raising religious slogans.
A crowd was seen throwing rocks at the assailant, who was finally pinned to the ground. The incident took place outside the temple gate at 7 pm.
The attack took place outside the Gorakhnath temple which is the headquarters of the Gorakhnath mutt, of which Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest.
According to the police, the man who has been detained has been identified as Ahmed Murtuza Abbasi. Ahmed is a resident of Gorakhpur and is a graduate of IIT-Bombay in 2015. A laptop, a phone, and a ticket were found on him.
A “terror attack” cannot be ruled out, the police said. “Items recovered from the person make it seem a big conspiracy was in play and we cannot deny that this could have been a terror attack,” said Prashant Kumar, Additional Director General, Law, and Order while speaking to ANI.
Prashant Kumar added that “Our recoveries are quite sensational and we will share these with you at a later stage. Currently, our investigation is at a preliminary stage.
“Two cases have been registered and the local police are investigating right now but other directions will be passed soon,”
The two policemen who were attacked and Ahmed are currently in the hospital.
