A man was arrested after he allegedly damaged murtis of deities at a temple in Marhara town in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district, police said on Friday.
According to police, Kuldeep Sharma, a resident of Brahmanpuri locality, entered the Shivchintaharan temple in Bada Bazar around 8 pm on Thursday in an inebriated condition and allegedly damaged the murtis with his hands while creating a ruckus.
When temple priest Vinod Mishra tried to stop him, Sharma allegedly misbehaved with him and attempted to engage in a scuffle before fleeing the spot, police said.
Temple committee manager Naval Kishore lodged a complaint at the Marhara police station. Station House Officer Yogendra Singh said a case was registered under relevant sections and the accused was arrested. Further investigation is underway.
Temple committee members and devotees have demanded enhanced security at the temple and strict action against the accused.
The incident has sparked outrage among residents and devotees, who expressed shock over the desecration of the temple murtis during the holy month of Sawan.
