3 Of 5 Men Accused Of Setting Gurugram Mazar Afire Arrested: Police

The Gurugram Police has arrested three of the five men accused of starting a fire at a mazar in the Khandsa village, officials said. 

According to the police, the five allegedly set the place of worship on fire after being influenced by social media posts on the communal clashes that began in the state's Nuh district and later spread to other Gurugram and surrounding areas. 

The three arrested accused have been identified as Gulshan, Vijay, and Lalit - all residents of the Khandsa village, the police said. 

While Gulshan is a shopkeeper, Vijay is an auto driver and Lalit works as a delivery boy for a pharmacy, they said. 

"The five hatched the plan after seeing various social media posts on the Nuh violence. The accused, in a drunken state, started the fire at the mazar on Sunday night and fled. Our team identified them and arrested three of them. We are questioning the accused," Varun Dahiya, ACP crime, said.

The incident of arson took place when prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed in Gurugram over the communal clashes in Nuh and nearby areas. The district administration lifted the curbs on Monday.

According to a complaint filed by Ghasite Ram, the caretaker of the mazar, it was all normal at the shrine when he left for home at 8:30 pm on Sunday. Around 1:30 am, he received a call from a person who lives near the shrine about a few men setting the mazar on fire.

In his complaint to the police station, Mr Ram said the fire was brought under control with the help of locals. 

"But when I went there, I saw offerings kept inside the mazar were burnt," he said, adding that he has been working at the shrine for about seven years and has seen "people of all religions offering their respect there". 

The small shrine in the middle of a market also has pictures of Hindu deities on the inner walls along with the tomb of a "peer baba". 

On the outer wall also, there are pictures of a Hindu deity and symbols.