Lucknow Court Sentences Man to Death Over Attack on Cops at Gorakhnath Temple

The accused was allegedly trying to forcibly enter the temple, when he attacked the police personnel.

A trial court on Monday, 30 January, awarded a death penalty to a 30-year-old man, identifying as Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi, a year after he allegedly attacked and injured two police constables around the Gorakhnath temple in Uttar Pradesh.

The incident: On 3 April 2022, while Abbasi was allegedly trying to forcibly enter the temple, he attacked two PAC personnel with a sharp-edged weapons and raised religious slogans, reported The Indian Express.

The accused, who hails from Gorakhpur, also attempted to snatch the police's weapons.

It is important to note that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and UP CM Yogi Adityanath is the head priest of the Gorakhnath temple.

What's the latest: State government counsel Mithlesh Kumar Singh, has indicated that a fine of Rs 44,000 will also be levied on Abbasi.

“Additional District and Sessions Judge Viveka Nand Sharan Tripathi awarded the death sentence to Murtaza Abbasi. The court also imposed a total fine of Rs 44,000 on him. I am yet to go through the full judgment,” Singh said, The Indian Express reported.

The FIR: Abbasi was reportedly convicted under sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) 186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court also convicted Abbasi under The Criminal Law Amendment Act and Arms Act, Singh added.

More about Abbasi: As per UP Police, Abbasi was “highly radicalised” and in “direct touch” with ISIS affiliates from Syria.

“He was ISIS’s lone wolf and an expert in terror financing. He was involved in spreading terror literature in electronic format and was in touch with ISIS people,” DGP Chauhan said, reported The Indian Express.

(With inputs from The Indian Express.)