Source

PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY, January 25, 2004: A pile of plywood and insulation was dumped in the center of the two-lane entry to the Sanatan Mandir Hindu Temple on Jean Terrace sometime on January 23 night or early January 24, and police say the incident may have been a bias crime. Temple priest Pravin Shastri discovered several layers of plywood piled up about 7 feet high when he attempted to leave the site at 10 a.m. Saturday. He and his family live on the property. Shastri pointed out two large plywood boards that were nailed onto the front end of the pile, positioned to block movement around it.”This is deliberate,” he said as he walked around it. Shastri said worshippers attending Friday’s daily 7:30 p.m. session left at 9:30 p.m. and the plywood was not there. The temple was built in 1989. Between 20 and 30 worshippers attend evening prayer daily. Harshad Anjaria, a member of the temple, was saddened by what he described as a bias crime. Police and Mayor Mimi Letts were at the scene by 2 p.m. Parsippany Police Detective Dave Guth said the initial investigation will treat the incident as a bias crime, although that could change. “There have been other dumpings in the township,” he said, so it’s possible that it may have been a random occurrence. Shastri said he is worried about what could come next if this crime was directed at worshippers

Post Views: 584