FIR lodged after unidentified people damage idol at temple in J-K’s Kathua

PTI, Jul 12, 2022, 12:39 PM IST

A case has been registered against unidentified people who allegedly damaged an idol at a temple in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Tuesday. The alleged incident at Dhamlar-Morha village in Mahanpur on Monday had sparked a protest by the locals who blocked the main road to press for action against the culprits, they said.

”An FIR has been registered and a police team deputed to probe the incident and bring the culprits to book,” a police official said.

He said some unidentified people entered the temple and allegedly damaged the idol.

As the news of the alleged vandalism spread, angry villagers led by District Development Council member Goldy Kumar blocked the main road, demanding the arrest of the culprits.

Senior police officers rushed to the spot and persuaded the protesters to disperse and assured them of a thorough probe to identify the culprits and bring them to book. This was the third incident of alleged temple vandalism in the Jammu region over the past three months.

A temple was vandalised by unidentified miscreants in the Sidhra area of Jammu on April 8 followed by another similar incident at Vasuki Naag temple in the upper reaches of Doda district on June 5.