Bangladeshi man held for desecrating idol at Bengaluru temple

A 45-year-old Bangladeshi national was arrested for allegedly desecrating an idol placed outside the sanctum of a temple here, police said on Wednesday.

Temple staff and locals immediately caught the accused, identified as Kabir Mondal and assaulted him. A video of the assault went viral on social media platforms, they said. The incident occurred at the Venugopal Temple in Devarabisanahalli, near Marathahalli, on Tuesday morning, creating chaos in the area, police said.

Citing preliminary investigation, a senior police officer said the man, suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, entered the temple premises and desecrated one of the two idols placed outside the sanctum, the officer said.

Shocked by his act, the temple staff and devotees allegedly overpowered him, tied him to a pole outside the temple premises and thrashed him before handing him over to the police, the officer added.

The accused, who is known to local residents, has been working as a cobbler in the area for the past four to five years, he said. The injured accused was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.

''We have filed a case against Mondal, who was subsequently arrested. Another case has also been registered on Mondal's complaint against those who assaulted him,'' the officer added.