Police clarify after reports suggest Pakistani agents conducted recce in Maharashtra's Shirdi

Nashik: The Ahmednagar police have denied that any “recce of the Sai temple in Shirdi had been conducted” by any terrorist.

DIG of Nashik range of the state police B G Shekhar said the Ahmednagar police followed-up on the allegation that a person detained by the Gujarat anti-terrorist squad (ATS) had conducted a recce of the Sai temple in Shirdi.

“There is no truth to the reports. The Ahmednagar police had deputed a senior police officer to ascertain details at the temple town,” added Shekhar.

Police also contacted their Gujarat counterparts, who said that they did not have any information about the “recce by any terrorist at the temple town.”

Ahmednagar superintendent of police Manoj Patil reassured the devotees visiting Shirdi that there is no reason to fear. “We have carried out thorough verifications from all sources. There has not been any visit by any terrorist or recce of the Sai temple,” added Patil.

Shirdi’s Sai temple attracts devotees not only from different parts of Maharashtra but from other parts of the country round the year.

At present, due to the pandemic, the Ahmednagar district administration has instructed the Shri Sai Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, to not allow more than 25,000 devotees a day for darshan.

Police officials said that apart from the trust’s own security, the district police deploys its own personnel at the temple premises to ensure the safety and security of both the temple and the devotees.