Police on Thursday arrested two persons accused of violating the sanctity of the Sri Babbuswamy Daivasthana temple at Yemmekere in Mangaluru.
The arrested have been identified as Abdul Rahim and Abdul Taufeeq.
In recent months, several cases of vandals putting offensive messages and condoms in the hundis (donation boxes) of Hindu shrines had come to light in the coastal city.
Cases had been registered at Pandeshwar, Kadri and Ullal police stations in this regard.
Nawaz, one of the miscreants involved in the crime, took ill after the incident and died. Scared that it was a curse from the deity, the arrested arrived at the shrine and confessing to their crimes, begged forgiveness. The locals then handed them over to the police.
They admitted their crime out of fear, says police
Addressing a press meet, police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said, “In the last three months, five cases have been registered at Ullal, Kadri, and Pandeshwar police stations over miscreants dropping objectionable items into the offering boxes of temples. In Mangaluru, people believe in Koragajja and offer prayers.”
“Accused Raheem and Taufiq were in touch with the priest of a Koragajja Katte temple located at Yemmekere ground to confess their mistake. They were called during the ‘Nemotsava’ where they confessed about involving in the heinous act.”
“One more accused named Nawaz, who is the common friend of the other two accused, had come back from Dubai one and half years ago. In the last couple of months, he suffered severe health issues and passed away. Recently, the devotees carried out a walkathon from Kadri temple to Kutthar Koragajja Katte. Later, Taufiq also faced severe health issues like Nawaz. Out of fear, they decided to confess. Raheem and Taufiq used to accompany Nawaz to the Koragajja Katte to drop objectionable items in the offering box.”
“The objective behind the act is not yet known. We are probing it. As per the primary investigation, they have committed the act in three places. The modus operandi looks similar. We need to verify the hand written content as well. Both the accused voluntarily contacted the priest to confess,” he said.
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