Though the presence of 25-odd personnel of the Railway Protection Force today prevented the residents from staging a protest, women of the area continued with their prayer meeting inside the temple amid noise of a JCB machine that demolished the platform adjoining the temple.

Kulwant Singh, post commander of the Railway Protection Force, said, “Although the temple has also been built on the railway land, we will demolish only the platform and not the temple. This will serve as a deterrent to encroachers.”

The residents, however, alleged that though the temple was built without any action by the railways, the platform has been demolished, as one of the railway officers who had taken money the last time was not given his share this time.

The area residents said the temple came into being in 1992 but the construction of the dome of the temple was started on September 7, 2007. However, some residents complained that a railway employee had allowed the construction of a three-storey structure for the dome, but when he was not given his share of money this time he complained against the construction of the platform.

“We gave him Rs 30,000 when we had started the construction of the dome four months ago. As we did not grease his palms this time, he complained against the construction,” said Pradeep Kumar, a resident.