Unidentified miscreants damaged the statue of St. Anthony placed at the compound entrance of the St. Anthony’s Chapel at Kandlur village near Kundapur, about 50 km from Udupi on Sunday night.
According to the police, miscreants damaged the one-feet tall statue between 11 p.m. on Sunday and 6.30 a.m. on Monday. The statue was kept in a glass case covered from three sides. The incident came to light when a devotee came to the chapel around 7 a.m.
The chapel authorities informed the police, who rushed to the spot. Fr. Vishal Lobo, parish priest of Basrur, told The Hindu on Monday that there has been no history of enmity between communities in Kandlur. “I do not suspect anyone and it is for the police to investigate the matter. But the damage to the statue appears to be a deliberate act, as the miscreants have not touched the nearby donation box,” he said.
A case had been registered at the Kundapur police station. “A special team to probe the incident and nab the miscreants has been formed,” said P.M. Diwaker, Kundapur Circle Inspector.
The 43-year-old St. Anthony’s Chapel is located in 1.33 acres of land at Kandlur village about five km from Basrur. The distance from the compound entrance to the chapel is less than 100 metres. There are 60 families under the chapel and it comes under the Basrur parish. The chapel is a substation of Basrur.
