HYDERABAD: A 26-year-old vendor was arrested on Sunday for allegedly desecrating a place of worship in Hyderabad’s Safilguda. According to police, the incident took place around 8.30 pm on Saturday when the man, who had come from Bidar in Karnataka a month ago, allegedly entered the Katta Maisamma temple and committed an indecent act in front of the idol. “We have contacted the Bidar police and found that there are no criminal cases pending against him. But there is a document confirmed by the authorities in Bidar that he is mentally unsound,” an official said, adding that the accused would be taken into police custody after taking permission from the court to ascertain his mental condition and how he reached the temple and why he was involved in the alleged crime. An alleged video showing the accused being confronted by locals after he allegedly defecated near the temple entrance went viral on social media platforms, leading to dozens of protesters gathering and demanding strict action. Telangana BJP chief N. Ramchander Rao, who joined the crowd, alleged that the Congress government had failed to take action against those responsible for such crimes. “Hindus are under threat. “We will initiate a cultural movement,” he said.
