5 BVS activists held in temple row case

 Ajni police arrested five activists of Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS) who had gone to lodge a complaint of abusing and thrashing of a priest allegedly by the residents of Narendra Nagar. However, cops claimed that the political activists misbehaved with cops and started a protest without giving prior intimation to the police station and hence a case was registered against them.

Police said that priest Vedanti Tripathi (28) has been staying with wife and a three-month-old son in a room inside Hanuman Temple at Narendra Nagar for the past many years. Residents who followed the myth that fairer sex is not to be allowed in the temple always opposed Tripathi's settling down there with his family.

Police said that though the residents were against Tripathi for staying in the temple, he had shown documents signed by old trustee permitting him to live there. Tripathi claimed that the residents cut off electricity of the temple on Saturday night. Infuriated by the residents' mischief, Tripathi on Sunday morning allegedly thrashed Ramesh Kanhere, a new trustee. In return, Kanhere and the nearby residents abused Tripathi and his family, said a cop.

A helpless Tripathi then took the support of BVS activists and moved to Ajni police station to lodge a complaint. Since the residents had also reached the police station to register a counter-complaint, Ajni police thought it better to solve the issue. BVS activists who thought the cops were not ready to lodge a complaint argued which caused tension at the police station and hence the arrests were made. The activists were released after a few hours.