CHENNAI: The Pallavaram police have arrested two people for vandalising a Buddha idol at a temple in Zamin Pallavaram.
According to locals, the Palalvamalai Arulnila Budhar Aalayam was established a decade ago at the base of a hillock at Periyamalai in Zamin Pallavaram. A two-and-a-half feet stone idol of Buddha was installed at the temple and on special days ceremonies are observed.
On Sunday night, unidentified people vandalised the idol by pelting it with stones. Temple administrators who saw the damage on Monday morning informed the local police after which they launched a hunt for the suspects.
After preliminary investigation, police detained two residents of Vembuliamman Koil Street -- Raju and his accomplice Vinoth Kumar. A few locals had seen the two climbing up the hillock on Sunday night, police sources said.
According to a police officer, the two of them had damaged the idol when they were drunk. “The accused said they had no ill intention. They got drunk and began throwing stones at the idol. The damage are being fixed,” the officer said.
The Pallavaram police booked Raju and Vinoth Kumar under sections of the IPC, including 295 (destroying, damaging or defiling a place of worship or sacred object with intent to insult the religion of any class of persons), 442 (criminal trespassing). They were produced before a magistrate that sent them to judicial custody.
Police sources said Raju was previously arrested under the Pocso Act and is out on bail.