Foiled Illinois Bālājī temple plot: US lawmakers and Hindu groups seek hate-crime probe
Alexandros Paporakis, 19, is charged with making a terrorist threat and unlawful weapon possession.
- ANI
Alexandros Paporakis, 19, is charged with making a terrorist threat and unlawful weapon possession. Prosecutors allege he drove to the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Bālājī) Temple in Aurora, near Chicago, during Navarātri on 11 October, and left when his rifle jammed.
A co-worker tipped off police. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi asked the FBI to treat it as a hate crime, and MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged the US to "ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals".
The charges have not been tested in court.
Key data
A search of his home reportedly found a rifle, hundreds of rounds, body armour and an 8-page extremist document.
Why it matters
It is the most serious alleged plot in a run of attacks on US mandirs since 2022, and it will add to pressure for federal security grants for Hindu sites.
GK: did you know?
Venkaṭeśvara, also called Śrīnivāsa or Bālājī, is a form of Viṣṇu whose principal shrine is at Tirumala in the Śeṣācalam hills of Andhra Pradesh.
