A disturbing case has emerged from the Shani temple situated in the village of Manti Hasanpur within the Thana Bhawan region of Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh. The authorities have apprehended a man known as Baba Bengali also referred to as Balaknath after his identity was revealed to be 55-year-old Imamuddin Ansari, resident of Kalchini in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal.
He had been serving as a priest at the temple and falsely portraying himself as a Hindu sadhu for at least two years. The authorities initiated legal proceedings against him and presented him before the court where he was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
On 2nd August, the Thana Bhawan police received intelligence indicating that the accused is a Muslim and has been living in the temple with a fraudulent identity. They responded promptly and conducted a nighttime raid on the temple and apprehended him. Three Aadhar cards and a PAN card were found in his possession.
One of the Aadhaar cards bore the name “Bengali Nath Care of Kamalnath” with the address listed as Shakambhari Road Water Tank, Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Saharanpur. The other documents exposed Ansari’s true name and actual address. He also obtained land from the village head Rameshwar, under the pretense of constructing a temple. He even took donations from locals to fund its construction and subsequently started to stay inside the temple.
What do the authorities say
Superintendent of Police Ramsevak Gautam stated that charges have been filed against the perpetrator under various sections related to the creation of forged documents, fraud and the violation of religious sentiments. Additionally, the intelligence department is also involved in the inquiry to determine if this incident is part of a larger and orchestrated conspiracy or network.
Currently, Ansari is undergoing questioning and the validity of his documents is also under scrutiny. The police disclosed that Ansari migrated to North India from West Bengal approximately 15 years ago in pursuit of employment. Initially, he resided in Saharanpur and its surrounding districts where he encountered a Baba Kamalnath.
The former was reportedly brought to Manti Hasanpur by an individual from Saharanpur. The villagers believed that the offender was a Hindu saint and permitted him to reside in the Shani temple. He worshipped at the temple and diligently followed Hindu customs. Hence, no suspicion was raised against him.
Once the entire matter was unveiled, the authorities have become more alert and every detail is being monitored closely. The police have stated that further action will be on the basis of the inquiry’s outcomes.
According to media reports, a police team has been dispatched to West Bengal to confirm the address listed on Ansari’s Aadhaar card and collect more information regarding him. They will conduct a thorough inquiry to uncover the truth about him and also look into whether there are any criminal cases filed against him in that region.
Furthermore, the team will examine the circumstances surrounding the alteration of the name on the Aadhaar card including the people who were involved in this. They cops have not obtained any information in relation to him having a bank account. The police discovered that the culprit has not undergone any conversion.
Anger among local Hindu community
The development has sparked anger among the local community who demanded strict action. The police have urged the public to maintain peace and have guaranteed that the probe will be conducted in a transparent and unbiased manner. District Math Mandir Pramukh Bharat Bhushan remarked that this incident was shocking.
The Hindu outfits plan to initiate an investigative campaign throughout the district and monitor such elements closely to prevent similar occurrences in the future. They urged the police administration to treat this issue with the seriousness it deserves and implement strict actions.
Vishva Hindu Parishad’s District Service Pramukh Vinni Rana stated that the organization is fully equipped to deal with such issues and will enforce strict action against Ansari. Workers are being mobilized at the rural level to facilitate it.
VHP’s District Mahamantri Shalu Rana expressed that the organization will dedicate all its resources to ensure strict action is taken against the accused as any conspiracy against Sanatan Dharma will not be allowed to prevail. Additionally, its members and local villagers will also look into those who request for alms while posing as sadhus in rural areas.
Notably, a similar incident transpired at a Shiv temple in Dadri village of Meerut’s Daurala where an alleged Hindu priest was exposed to be Qasim from Bihar, last month.
