Guwahati: In a shocking incident that has left devotees outraged, a suspected Bangladeshi-origin Muslim man, identified as Arif Ali, committed sacrilege by stealing the sacred murti of ‘Baba Agninav’ from the renowned Shiva Temple in Nazira town in Sivasagar district of Assam. Despite being a relatively new temple, it has gained immense reverence for its spiritual significance, especially for blessing childless couples and fulfilling devotees’ wishes. Hundreds of devotees visit Agninabh Mandir daily to seek the blessings of Bhagwan Shiva.
The theft disrupted the sanctity of the temple, which sees a daily rush of devotees in the morning hours, seeking blessings from Baba Agninav. However, the swift and effective action of the Assam Police ensured the arrest of the accused and the recovery of the revered idol along with other valuable ornaments. CCTV voltage shown how the thief Arif and his gang entered the temple and using a Long bamboo stick they pulled out the gold murti and other valuable items and fled the spot. The recovery has restored the faith of devotees and the sanctity of this sacred space. The incident has sparked discussions about the need for enhanced security measures at religious sites to prevent such acts of sacrilege in the future. Not only Agninabh temple, many Hindu religious places were targeted by Islamist in the recent past. Devotees expressed relief and gratitude towards the police for their prompt action and have resumed their visits to the temple, continuing their prayers and rituals with renewed devotion.
In June of this year, Kokrajhar Police arrested a group of four people in relation to the recent theft at the Mahamaya Mandir. Based on technical evidence, the suspects—Mandal Ali, Sarif Uddin, Hazrat Ali, and Asraful Ali—were taken into custody from Bilasipara early on June 13. Since the accused pointed the police in the direction of Moqbul Hasan, the purported recipient of the stolen goods, the arrests resulted in the recovery of multiple stolen things.
On November 7, a bunch of robbers took advantage of the darkness to target the historic Bhola Nath Shiv Temple at Gor Ali in Hatkhola, Baksa, Assam, and stole money and other valuables. Under cover of darkness, the incident occurred when thieves broke into the temple’s donation box and fled with money intended for charitable and temple maintenance. Every Monday and Thursday, thousands of devotees flock to the temple, which is under the control of the Anand Bazar police station, in search of blessings and spiritual comfort.
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