Police Baffled By Attack on Hindu Temple

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ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, March 1, 2003: The police and FBI are at a loss

why a fire bomb was thrown at the Hindu temple in St. Louis, Missouri,

on the night of February 22.

 

Officials have registered the attack as a hate crime case. "It seemed

to be a crude bomb or Molotov cocktail, which set fire to the front

door of the temple," Krishna Reddy, president of the temple trustee

board, said. The fire quickly burned itself out, charring a four-foot

section of the door.

 

The attack happened after midnight, Reddy thinks. Temple officials

discovered the attack when they arrived to open the shrine the next

morning.

 

"There are four priests living in the compound a little behind the

temple. They did not hear anything that night," Reddy said. "We are

getting a lot of support from the police, FBI and other officials."

 

"There is no panic in the community," Jiwan Singla, chairman of the

temple building committee, said. "Everything is normal, but we are

increasing security," he said.

 

Established 13 years ago, it is one of the largest temples in the US,

serving more than 8,000 families. "The attack has not changed

anything," Singla noted. All the activities will go on as scheduled,

he said.

 

Source: http://www.rediff.com/us/2003/mar/01us1.htm

 

Courtesy Hindu Press International (HPI)