Mysore/Mysuru: Saligrama Police have arrested a peculiar person, who used to break into temples in Mysuru and Mandya districts, never used to touch cash but used to desecrate idols in the temple.

The accused was arrested at Akki Hebbal, a village bordering Mysuru and Mandya district and the Police have refused to divulge details about him.

On Dec. 7 evening, a miscreant had desecrated Shivalingas at Sri Siddalingeshwara and Male Mahadeshwara Temples near Bherya village by breaking into these temples.

A small Shivalinga and the idol of Basava was also damaged at Male Mahadeshwara Temple which is about 200 mts from the previous two temples and the miscreant had fled from the spot.

Based on the complaints from the Management of the temples, Saligrama Police had registered cases and had taken up the investigation.

Superintendent of Police (SP) R. Chethan and Additional SP Shivakumar, who had visited the spots, conducted inspections and had formed a Police team which was led by Dy.SP Dr. A.R. Sumeet and Saligrama Inspector Srikanth to investigate and arrest the accused.

The Police team, acting on a tip off, raided a place at Chikkabherya village in K.R. Nagar taluk and arrested the accused. During interrogation, the accused, who not only confessed of desecrating idols of the above temples also told the Cops that he had damaged the idol at Sri Lakshmidevi Ammanavara Temple at Vaddaragudi in K.R. Pet Rural Police limits and had thrown the same into an open well and had also tried to break open the lock of Sri Anjaneyaswamy Temple at Beeravalli village but had to flee from the spot on seeing people coming to the temple.

Meanwhile, Mysuru Rural Division Dy.SP Dr. A.R. Sumeet said that the accused had studied SSLC and was involved in agriculture for his living.

Assuming that the people were being cheated by praying to idols, he had damaged them and had fled from the spots,   he added.

The Dy.SP further said that following a tip off from the public, the accused was arrested near Akki Hebbal village and added that the accused was only damaging idols in the temples but had never touched cash or jewels of Gods. To prevent disturbance to law and order situations more details of the accused cannot be revealed, Dy.SP Sumeet added. SP R. Chethan said that the crime committed by the accused was very sensitive which hurts the religious sentiments of the people. Sub-Inspector Doddegowda, ASIs Kumar, Thimmarajanayaka, Basappa, Mahesh, Madhukumar, Vijayaraghu, Chethan and Girish and driver Dinesh assisted the investigation team. The SP also announced a reward for the investigation team.