Man held for defiling idols on May 2 in MP

Satish has been booked under Section 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the IPC.

It was around 8pm on May 2 when the reports of desecration of the idols by unidentified miscreants started circulating. As the public outcry started building up, police reached the spot and advised people, including some local BJP leaders, against fanning tension by holding a particular community responsible for the act.

During the investigation, in the footage of a CCTV camera installed outside the temple, police spotted a man entering and leaving the shrine in a jiffy. “We nabbed the man (Satish) who lived merely 500 metres away from the temple. His family claimed that his mental condition was not sound and faced bouts of erratic behaviour,” Superintendent of Police Rahul Lodha said.

He said the police also checked with the doctor where the family claimed to have taken him after he behaved in a strange manner at home. “The doctor confirmed to us that the family had approached him for Satish’s treatment. Although he does not suffer from any specific mental illness, he has bouts of erratic behaviour, especially since his wife left him,” added SP Lodha.

After the arrest, police through social media advised people to ignore rumours and maintain peace.