Hyderabad : Salman Salim Thakur, the man arrested for vandalizing the idol at the Sri Muthyalamma Temple in Kummarguda, Secunderabad, has been linked to a series of similar offenses in Maharashtra, according to the Hyderabad police. The authorities revealed that Salman is ‘self-radicalised’ and harbors animosity towards the practices of other religions. The incident occurred on October 14, around 4:30 a.m., when Salman entered the temple's sanctum-sanctorum and desecrated the main idol. Local residents quickly intervened, apprehending him before he could flee the scene.
In the heat of the moment, some locals reportedly assaulted him in anger over his provocative actions. Upon his apprehension, police questioned Salman, but he remained tight-lipped about his motives. "Acting swiftly on the information, the local police arrived at the scene, provided medical assistance to the accused, and assessed the situation," a police press release stated. An FIR has since been lodged, revealing that Salman, a resident of near Mumbai, had traveled to Hyderabad earlier in October 2024 to attend a month-long personality development workshop organized by the English House Academy.
This workshop was held at Hotel Metropolis, Regimental Bazar, under the supervision of Munawar Zama, Md Kafeel Ahmed, and others. Authorities have indicated that the hotel was rented illegally for the academic course, which lacked necessary permissions, and they are taking appropriate legal action against the management. Investigations further uncovered Salman’s history of hostility towards religious practices. In 2022, he was involved in a case where he entered a Ganesh Pandal wearing footwear and publicly mocked the practice of idolatry. Additionally, he was previously arrested in Mumbai for trespassing into a temple and damaging the idol of Lord Shanker by stepping on it. As investigations continue, the police are emphasizing the need for communal harmony and vigilance against acts of religious intolerance.