Two arrested on the charge of desecrating Daivasthanas

The untimely death of the perpetrator is said to have driven the accused to confess

April 01, 2021 11:32 pm | Updated 11:32 pm IST - MANGALURU

The untimely demise of the perpetrator in the desecration of Koragajja Daivasthanas, who had challenged the power of the Spirit, and his advice before his death to two of the accomplices that they admit their guilt before Koragajja, has led to the arrest of two persons by the police thereby bringing relief to thousands of Koragajja devotees.

The two, Abdul Raheem and Taufeeq, were arrested on Thursday after they reportedly confessed to their guilt before Koragajja at the annual Nemotsava in Yemmekere on Wednesday night.

Koragajja Daivasthanas in and around the city had witnessed dropping of condoms and blasphemous literature in their offering boxes in four instances, while one instance of defecation on a Daivasthana premises at Kankanady too was reported. The incidents had shocked devotees and they had the potential of triggering tension in the communally sensitive district.

Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar told reporters here on Thursday that Raheem and Taufeeq from Jokatte in the city got worried after the death of Nawaz (32), a resident of Kenjar, due to ill health about 45 days ago. Nawaz was reportedly into black magic and other such acts after his return from Dubai two years ago. He is said to have challenged the power of Koragajja and took Raheem and Taufeeq along with him when they deposited condoms and blasphemous material in the offering boxes of Koragajja Daivastanas. He had also defecated on a temple premises.

When his condition turned critical, Nawaz reportedly called Raheem and Taufeeq and asked them to admit to their guilt in a Koragajja Daivasthana.

The two contacted a poojari at the Koragajja Daivasthana at Yemmekere a few days ago and confessed to their crime at the Daivasthana on Wednesday night. The Daivasthana authorities then informed the Mangaluru South Police who took them into custody later.

Mr. Kumar said that the admission of guilt at the Daivasthana was an extra-judicial confession. The police will now collect evidence about the involvement of the arrested persons and other supporting material too. The two arrested persons have been booked under Section 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code, he said.

Following the incidents, the police were in a tight spot in the absence of CCTV cameras near the Daivasthanas and were unable to find the exact date of the commission of crime. Recently, thousands of Koragajja devotees took out a march seeking divine intervention to find the accused.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.