Arrest of Indian-origin restaurant owner and Ganesh Chaturthi ceremony disruption in Leicester spark outrage

LONDON: The arrest of a preferred businessman (an individual of Indian origin) and the disruption of a Ganesh Chaturthi procession by Leicestershire police has sparked nationwide anger amongst British Hindus.
Dharmesh Lakhani, proprietor of Bobby’s restaurant on Belgrave Street, was saved for 5 hours in a police cell and is now needing medical consideration for the way by which he was handcuffed outdoors the Shivalaya Mandir — The Leicestershire Brahma Samaj on Monday night time. He plans to file a grievance with Leicestershire police.
In keeping with Leicestershire police,“an unplanned procession was discovered to be underway on the road”.
“There are authorized necessities surrounding processions and subsequently officers tried to have interaction with the group to ascertain the main points of an organiser. This led to an incident the place the person was arrested and is now topic to investigation,” it mentioned in a press release.
However Lakhani advised TOI: “It was not a procession. It was 10-12 individuals taking two murtis (idols) of our gods for the Ganesh celebration on Monday night time.”
The massive procession, when the dissolvable murtis of the god Ganesh, shall be transported from the Shivalaya Mandir to be dipped within the water at Cossington Park, will happen on Sunday. The Belgrave Enterprise Affiliation, which is organising the occasion, has permission for that.
Lakhani mentioned on Monday the murtis had been being wheeled in a “rekri” to the Shivalaya mandir from Jeram, the Belgrave Street store which had imported the idols from India, forward of every day puja and aarati beginning Tuesday. The Shivalaya is similar temple from which a flag was pulled down through the Leicester riots precisely one yr in the past.
He claimed a “rogue police officer” turned up and began harassing the top priest of the Shivalaya Mandir, Madhusudhan Shastri, who’s in his 70s, as they had been wheeling the idols down the pavement.
“He saved manhandling the priest and pulling and pushing him away from the procession, which broke up the puja. He tried to tug him right into a aspect road to speak to him however the priest felt intimidated,” Lakhani claimed. He claimed he then tried to intervene and advised the officer to cease touching the priest.
They reached the temple after which the identical police officer arrived once more, this time with many different officers. Lakhani alleged the unique officer then pushed him. “I put up my arm to guard myself and he mentioned I assaulted him and began violently pulling and pushing me. I used to be arrested,” Lakhani claimed to TOI. “When he arrested me, I advised him I’ve a coronary heart situation. I didn’t hit him, he pushed me. We wished to do it with Shivalaya exactly due to what occurred 12 months in the past to construct bridges once more and each group was invited.”
Leicester police confirmed to TOI: “A person, aged 55, was arrested on suspicion of assault of an emergency employee on Belgrave Street, Leicester, on September 18. The person was taken to custody and was since launched below investigation as enquiries proceed.”
Lakhani (55) is now looking for medical therapy as the way in which he was handcuffed has left him in plenty of ache. “He did my handcuffs so tight and twisted one arm,” he claimed.
An open letter of grievance concerning the incident by Shyamal Raja, managing director of Midlands Care, to chief constable Rob Nixon requires a proper written apology to be given to Lakhani and the priest and an investigation into the police officer.
Leicestershire police confirmed to TOI it was investigating a grievance concerning the arrest. Movies present Lakhani shouting “Inform him I’ve a coronary heart situation” as he’s pushed throughout the street and handcuffed. He later asks for water and says he’s out of breath. These current might be heard shouting: “You aren’t permitting us to have fun our pageant.”