Gorakhnath Temple Attacker's Travel History, Kin on ATS Radar as Cops Probe Terror Angle

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which is now investigating the Goraknath Temple incident in which IIT graduate Ahmed Murtuja Abbasi attacked two PAC constables with a sharp-edged weapon, has picked up two suspects from Maharajganj for questioning.

ATS investigation has revealed that Abbasi entered Nepal from Aligarhwa border of Siddharthnagar and after coming back from Nepal, he bought the weapon from Aligarhwa which he used to attack the security personnel at Gorakhnath temple.

As per sources, ATS is likely to question his wife and other family members. The agency is also likely to investigate the travel history of the accused.

Forensic experts are engaged in recovering Abbasi’s laptop and mobile and as per information, all the data was deleted from his laptop. Security agencies are also working to establish if the attack on the security personnel was a lone wolf attack or if there was a deep conspiracy behind it.

Abbasi will be in police custody till April 11. It is expected that a detailed investigation may reveal many secrets about the attack, as UP’s ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar and ACS Home Avaneesh Awasthi have not ruled out a terror angle behind the incident.

The video of the attack at the gate of the temple in Gorakhpur went viral on social media. Gopal Gaud and Anil Paswan, personnel of the 20th Battalion of PAC, were at the main gate when Abbasi, with a bag in his hand, got into a scuffle with them. Suddenly, he took out a sharp weapon wrapped in a cloth from his bag and attacked and injured the jawans, according to onlookers and the personnel. In the video, Abbasi is seen dodging security personnel brandishing the weapon. Abbasi’s family has claimed he is mentally unstable.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh for the two jawans and constable Anurag Rajput for foiling the attack. The reward would be equally shared among them, officials said. CM Adityanath has reached Gorakhpur to visit the injured cops at the hospital.

The UP Home department, in a statement, termed the incident a terror attack on the basis of available evidence. “The attacker was trying to enter the temple premises to carry out an act of terror which was foiled by brave PAC and police personnel,” it said.

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