Man taken into custody in Sringeri for hurting religious sentiments

CHIKKAMAGALURU: Sringeri police on Friday have taken into custody a 28-year-old on charges of hurting religious sentiments after he placed a banner of a particular religion over the statue of Shankaracharya, a Hindu religious leader, located at Veerappa Gowda Circle in Sringeri town on the night of August 12.

However, the investigating police team found that the man had had no links to any political party or to any organization and his act was not premeditated nor done on purpose.

The man, said to be Milind, an alcoholic according to the police, has been taken into custody. A case was registered on August 13 at Sringeri police station of Chikkamagaluru district.

Initially, it was alleged that members of Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) were behind the incident.

Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police Hakay Akshay Machindra said that a team was formed to trace the persons behind the incident and the team went through CCTV footage of Sringeri town installed at convenient locations.

Police team enquired some of the suspects and finally came across a man who had placed religious banner of a particular religion over the statue of Hindu religious leader Shankaracharya.

When the man was interrogated by the police, the man reportedly confessed that he in an inebriate condition had placed the religious banner of one religion over the statue.

Further, the man told the investigating team that it was raining on Wednesday night and that he had taken a banner of a religion from Sringeri Jamiya Mosque to cover from the rain. The man will be produced before the Court, stated the SP.