BENGALURU: Tension gripped Devarabeesanahalli after a man entered the premises of a temple wearing slippers and allegedly tried to damage the idols while raising religious slogans on Tuesday morning. Locals caught him, tied him to a tree and thrashed him before handing him over to the police.
The accused, Kabir (45), is a cobbler and resident of Devarabeesanahalli. The incident took place at the Venu Gopalaswamy Temple. Recording a video, the residents claimed that he raised religious slogans before entering the temple.
Locals also said Kabir attempted to attack the idols with his footwear. Claiming that he is an illegal Bangladeshi migrant, they demanded that central and state agencies investigate and ascertain the motive behind the act.
The police said that before entering the temple, Kabir allegedly shouted religious slogans. When confronted by locals, he ran towards the temple and entered the sanctum wearing slippers. He was carrying a bottle containing a liquid. Inside the temple, he also hit a pillar. Temple staff and residents immediately caught him and thrashed him.
The Marathahalli police said the accused was taken to a hospital for treatment. They registered a case of causing public nuisance, hurting religious sentiments and other sections.
The preliminary investigation suggested that Kabir hails from West Bengal, though it is yet to be verified whether he is an illegal migrant. He is currently undergoing treatment for injuries sustained during the incident.