Security beefed up around places of worship in Andhra Pradesh: DGP Gautam Sawang

VIJAYAWADA: DGP Gautam Sawang warned of stringent action against all those found guilty of the recent attacks on temples and vandalism. He directed the police department to enhance protection and security to temples across the 13 districts. He said that continuous surveillance, patrolling and visual policing has been ordered at all places of worship.

Sawang said that so far, a total of 236 people have been arrested in connection with acts of vandalism at temples. He stated that 87 persons were arrested in 49 cases before the Antervedi temple chariot burning incident and 149 persons in 78 cases after that incident. He said that the police department initiated measures for protection of temples under which as many as 37,673 CCTV cameras have been set up in 11,295 places of worship in the State.

The DGP appealed to the people to consider that it is everybody's responsibility to guard the sanctity of temples and sought them to give information if they come across any suspicious activity. He urged priests and temple administrators to be vigilant at all times and told them to call the police or dial 100 immediately after coming to know of suspicious activity. He stated that instructions have been issued to all district officials to monitor security measures of all temples. He said that a few sects of people are trying to deliberately disrupt peace and harmony and warned that the police would not tolerate such acts.

The DGP said that 1,196 culprits were bound over in the State involved in crimes, disturbances and vandalism in temples, history-sheets were opened and their movements are being monitored.

He recalled that the opposition parties dragged the Ganganamma Gudi hundi theft incident in Gudivada of Krishna district as a religious incident and protested. He clarified that the police arrested two persons in connection with the hundi theft. He said that an attempt was made to provoke the people as idols were being stolen from Allagadda Kalabhairava temple in Kurnool district. He clarified that, in fact, the police investigation has revealed that a man named Rajasekhar stole part of the idol for children.