Vandalism at Hindu temple: 12 cops dismissed, 33 face one-year suspension over negligence

(Karachi) At least 12 policemen have been dismissed from service for showing negligence and irresponsible behaviour in a case related to attack on Hindu shrine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak area, local media reported on Thursday.

As per details, the Karak district police officer ordered the dismissal of 12 policemen and a one-year suspension of 33 other cops. Those fired from police service also include Terry police SHO Rehmatullah and Banda Police ASI Mujeebullah.

The Karak DPO said the cops were dismissed in light of the inquiry report into the attack. The policemen failed to protect the shrine, the Karak DPO said.

The report held the policemen responsible for the incident and for carelessness in discharging their duty.

Meanwhile, K-P Police Chief Sanaullah Abbasi said that there is no space in police for negligent officers. He added that the protection of the life and property of the public is a top priority of the police.

On December 30, 2020, a historic Hindu temple was set ablaze in Karak district. The Krishna Dwara temple is situated in Teri union council. It came under attack by hundreds of miscreants who set fire to the building.

The miscreants surrounded and vandalised the temple for hours but the police were missing from the scene.

Advocate Rohit Kumar, a representative of the Hindu community, said the residents violated the agreement by vandalising the temple.

But Muslim residents of the area claimed that the Hindu community was illegally expanding the temple building. They said the matter was reported to the police too.

Later, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed took notice of the incident and ordered the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) to reconstruct the temple, remove encroachments from temples from across the country, and take action against officials involved in the encroachments.