Man arrested in Tirupattur for damaging granite idols at Vinayagar temple

A 40-year-old man has been arrested in Tirupattur district for allegedly damaging granite idols at a local Vinayagar temple, police said on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as R. Suresh Babu, is a resident of Madhanur village near Ambur town. He was taken into custody by the Ambur Taluk police and later lodged at the Central Prison in Vellore.

According to the police, devotees who visited the temple on Monday, as part of Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations, noticed that a few Amman idols had been damaged. They alerted the temple authorities, who in turn informed the local police.

A police team from Ambur Taluk inspected the temple premises. A case was registered and special teams were formed to analyse CCTV camera footage from the area.

Investigators found that the suspect lives directly opposite the temple. The footage showed him entering the temple and leaving the premises in a hurry, police said.

During questioning, Babu reportedly told the police that he had damaged the granite idols because he believed such idols in the temple were against tradition.

A probe into the incident is under way.