A phone call received by the police informing about some vandalism and arson at the Teliwala Dargah in Doiwala area on Monday caused some alarm. However, following police investigation, it was revealed that a desperate man with a criminal record was behind the actions.

Following the complaint lodged by Teliwala resident Azimuddin, the police lodged a case under various sections and began investigation. Considering the sensitivity of the case, various teams were formed by the police to solve it.

The police probe revealed that accused Doiwala resident Anil Kumar Lodhi could be involved in the incident. Considering the manner in which the material stolen from the Dargah was tied in a bundle and hidden in a sugar cane field, the police began searching for Lodhi.

 His family members said that he had come home at about 1 AM but returned after they didn’t open the door. He returned in the morning with a cut on his foot and left wearing his brother’s shoes.

When the police caught Lodhi and questioned him, he said that he works as a plumber and is used to intoxication. He said that he didn’t have cash and knew that the Dargah in the fields near his home has a donation box.

He said that he went to the site to steal money, broke the lock of the main gate and after entering the site, broke open the donation box to steal the cash.  Due to the night being quite cold, he gathered the old newspapers kept there and set them alight to keep warm in the night. He also stole the mat, blankets and other items inside and wrapped them in a bundle before throwing it in a sugar cane field.

He then returned home but the family members didn’t open the door for him so he returned to the Dargah. There he set fire to whatever he could find that would burn in order to keep warm.

The Dehradun senior superintendent of police and deputy inspector general Arun Mohan Joshi announced a cash reward of Rs 2,500 for the team that solved this case.