Dasna Devi temple’s head priest Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati (Twitter- @NarsinghVani) In the past two-and-a-half months, Delhi Police served three notices to Dasna Devi temple’s head priest Yati Narsinghanand in connection with an FIR against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with his remarks on the Prophet during a press conference in Delhi in April. He was asked to give a voice sample to the FSL, but did not appear citing medical reasons. Recently, the New Delhi district police yet again asked him to appear to record his voice sample, The Indian Express has learnt.
Sources said he was questioned by Delhi Police via video call, which lasted two-and-a-half hours, and he admitted he made the remarks on the Prophet but claimed his intention was misinterpreted.
In a video of the event, held at the Press Club of India on April 1, he can be heard using disparaging words against Islam and the Prophet.
“After recording his statement, police decided to take his voice sample before filing a chargesheet. They summoned him two months ago, but he didn’t appear citing health issues. In the meantime, raw video footage of the event was submitted to FSL to verify that it was not edited. They later summoned him twice, but both times he asked for exemption on health grounds,” a senior officer said, adding that they summoned him again recently.
Delhi Police spokesperson Chinmoy Biswal had said in April, “Taking suo motu cognizance, we registered an FIR under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity) and 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings) in connection with a video circulating on social media in the matter of a conference that took place in Press Club; investigation has been taken up.”
Narsinghanand could not be reached for a comment.
Police had also lodged an FIR against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan for allegedly threatening Narsinghanand. “We also served him a notice to record his statement, but he did not appear initially. He appeared after we served him a second notice and took his voice sample, which we sent to FSL for forensic examination with the real video,” the officer said.
A case under IPC sections 506 (threatening) and 153A (promoting enmity) was registered against Khan in connection with a video accompanying his tweet in April. In the video, the AAP MLA had said he had come to file a complaint at Jamia Nagar police station against Narsinghanand. Khan further said while his words call for beheading or cutting his tongue off, “we have faith in the Constitution and the law and we hope an FIR will be registered against him and he will be sent to jail”.
The Dasna temple was in news earlier this year when a 14-year-old boy who entered the premises to drink water was brutally assaulted by a man who did “sewa” there. While the man was arrested, Narsinghanand had said he supported his actions.
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