by india today news desk: Days after the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in western Sydney was vandalised, Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) police on Saturday released photographs of the accused. Along with this, they are seeking the public’s help in catching the culprits of this act in Rosehill suburb.
The culprits allegedly vandalized the temple last week by spray painting some graffiti in front of the temple. According to australia todayPolice investigation revealed that the incident took place on May 5 between 1-2 pm. A ‘Khalistan flag’ was also seen hanging at the gate of the temple after the vandalism incident.
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The picture released by the police is of the day of the incident. It shows a man in the vicinity of the temple wearing dark clothes, a cap and a face mask.
In addition to the suspects, police also released a photo of a vehicle that was seen on Virginia Street on the morning of May 5. Police believe passengers in the car could help with the investigation ANI said the report.
Cumberland Commander, Superintendent Sheridan Waldau, said police were working closely with Western Sydney residents to apprehend the perpetrators.
“The local community may be important to the investigation as they can assist the police with the investigation. However, any information obtained from them will be kept strictly confidential.” australia today quoting police report
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Following the incident, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir issued a statement saying they were “deeply saddened” and “disappointed”.
“For the past 23 years, BAPS Swaminarayan Temple has been a cornerstone of the local community and a prominent Hindu temple, which, like all BAPS temples across the world, is an abode of peace and harmony, equality, selfless service and universal Hindu values,” read the statement.
The temple also appealed to its devotees and community members to maintain peace.