Gorakhpur Temple Attack: Special Court Sends Ahmad Abbasi To Seven Day ATS Custody

A Special Court Monday granted the Anti-Terrorist Squad seven-day custody of Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi in connection with an attack on security personnel at the Gorakhpur temple earlier this month.

His custody period would begin Tuesday and end on May 3. The ATS had produced Murtaza in the Court of in-charge ATS Judge Mohammad Gazali after bringing him from a Gorakhpur jail.

It also produced a letter of the Gorakhpur jail superintendent, requesting that Murtaza be sent to a jail in Lucknow.

Initially, the Court granted his judicial custody till April 30. However, the ATS moved an application seeking Murtaza's custody for seven days. It was submitted that some important data was received from electronic equipment recovered from him, and his social media platform, and it was necessary to take his custody to interrogate him on these.

Abbasi, an IIT graduate, tried to forcibly enter the famous Gorakhnath temple premises on April 3 and attacked security personnel with a sickle, injuring two Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) constables, police had said. He was soon overpowered by other security staff and arrested.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest of the Gorakhnath temple and frequently visits and stays there. The stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has been invoked against the accused.

With PTI inputs