Telangana's Chandrayangutta on edge after temple vandalism, 3 minors held
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Hyderabad: Residents of Chandrayangutta are on edge after the Dwimukhi Hanuman Temple was desecrated late Monday or early Tuesday, with a broken iron grill and sindhooram smeared on the idol. Devotees discovered the damage during morning prayers on February 24.
Anjamma, a longtime local, told Siasat.com, “All of us have lived in peace over the years. This is the first time such a thing has happened at the temple.”
Chandrayangutta Police registered a case and formed special teams. After reviewing nearby CCTV, they arrested three minors Thursday from Royal Colony and Balapur. “These children were carrying some items in a polythene bag, moving suspiciously,” SHO R Gopi said. The minors, Myanmar citizens, broke the lock with a stone, stole a copper vessel, and damaged the idol. They were sent to Saidabad's Observation Home for Boys after appearing before the Juvenile Justice Board.
Scrap dealer Mohd Abdul Waheed, over 60, bought the vessel for Rs 70 and received a notice under BNSS Section 35(3) as he wasn't directly involved.
Zakir, a 40-year resident, called it unprecedented and urged against communal tensions: “We don’t want this to aggravate into communal tensions. Is one round of a patrolling team enough?”
Devotee Sukesh questioned nightly police rounds: “I don’t know how they missed it. We demand the culprits be caught at the earliest.”
Jaidev, another regular, noted prior thefts from the donation box but stressed this incident's severity. The temple lacked a gate—removed sometime earlier—and CCTV cameras. Locals now demand cameras and a compound wall.
A nearby shopkeeper, in the area for three years, reported no prior issues but blamed drug addicts who loiter in the temple premises.
The vandalism fits a pattern of worship site attacks in Telangana. BJP and VHP leaders blamed the Congress government. VHP Bhagyanagar Secretary Rajendra Reddy said: “The government preaches that we should all live together peacefully, but when such incidents occur, there is no action from the state. How often do you find temples with a two-faced deity?”