SHILLONG, Dec 29: Police investigation has revealed that Akash Sagar had gone to the Church of Epiphany at Mawlynnong in East Khasi Hills – also known as the cleanest village in Asia – days before he uploaded the video on social media.
“Sagar had gone and committed the act one week before he uploaded the same on social media,” East Khasi Hills SP Sylvester Nongtnger has said.
The police had registered a case against one Akash Sagar following an FIR filed against him.
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It is alleged that Sagar had uploaded the video, where he was seen entering the church and shouting “Jai Shree Ram” and singing a Hindu song.
Nongtnger said that Sagar is not a resident of the state and had gone to Mawlynnong village as a tourist.
He said that police are on the job to locate the accused’s place of origin.
Earlier, attempts were also made to check the airports.
On December 26, the Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR) leader Angela Rangad had filed an FIR against a social media user for “criminally trespassing” the Church of Epiphany at Mawlynnong in East Khasi Hills – also known as the cleanest village in Asia – and shouted non-Christian slogans allegedly aimed at creating communal disharmony.
In a complaint lodged with the Laitumkhrah police station, Rangad had said, “Recently I came across videos on social media, Facebook and Instagram by one Akash Sagar, where he is found criminally trespassing the Church of Epiphany, Mawlynnong, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya and deliberately desecrating the religious sanctity of the church by deliberately and in a premeditated and planned way trespassed into the altar area and shouted non-Christian slogans and mockingly sang non-Christian songs.”
“This act was deliberately and in collusion with two others who appear in the video, done to create communal disharmony, insulting the minority culture and to establish a majoritarian culture of hate in violation of all constitutional rights of religious freedom,” she added.
Rangad also alleged that this video creates a culture of fear and is liable to create public disorder while adding moreover these videos are being shared widely by handles promoting religious majoritarianism and hate.
“I therefore appeal to you to take strong legal action against this person involved in this criminal act and criminal conspiracy and also ask the social media platforms to ban these videos, their creator and the people and groups that are sharing these. This person needs to be booked and legal action should ensue to ensure that such criminal acts that threaten the peace do not take place again,” the TUR leader had stated in the FIR.
Meanwhile, the Central Puja Committee (CPC) had also noted with anguish a video, presently circulating on social media, wherein one individual by the name of Akash Sagar is seen involved in deliberately outraging and violating the religious sanctity of a church located in Mawlyynong in East Khasi Hills.
In a statement on Thursday, CPC president N. Bhattacharjee had said, “We strongly condemn the activity of this individual and urge the district administration to investigate the matter and initiate immediate action as per law and take stringent exemplary action against the offender.”
He said that Meghalaya is known all over the country for upholding religious harmony among all faiths residing in the state, which at no cost should be allowed to be affected by such irresponsible acts of an individual to disrupt the unique age-old brotherhood among people of different religion and faith. (NNN)
