On Sunday night, a 35-year-old man, believed to be mentally unstable, was arrested after allegedly attempting to desecrate Mahatma Gandhi's statue at Pune railway station. He was apprehended by bystanders and handed over to the police
File Pic.
A 35-year-old man, suspected of being mentally unstable, allegedly attempted to desecrate Mahatma Gandhi's statue located at Pune railway station in Maharashtra, police reported on Monday.
The man was apprehended by individuals near the statue late on Sunday night following the incident and subsequently handed over to the police, who placed him under arrest.
On Monday, local Congress workers staged a protest near the statue, demanding stringent action against the individual.
The accused has been identified as Suraj Shukla, originally from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, stated Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Milind Mohite.
"The man, who appeared mentally unstable, had some religious books in his bag and a billhook in his hand and was attempting to desecrate the statue using the sharp tool. However, he was caught by people nearby and handed over to the police," Mohite explained.
In response to a query, another official clarified that while the statue itself was not damaged, a small tile on the pedestal, upon which the statue is placed, sustained damage as the man climbed it.
The accused resides in the Vishrantwadi area of Pune and sells 'rudraksh' (holy beads). He had purchased the sharp weapon from Wai in Satara district, the official added.
"The man has been arrested, and we have registered a case against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further investigation is underway," the official confirmed.
Congress city unit president Arvind Shinde alleged that the man climbed the pedestal of the statue and attempted to desecrate it.
Local Congress workers staged a protest near the statue to condemn the incident.
"A large number of party workers staged a protest at the statue and demanded stern action against the man," Shinde stated.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
