A man has been arrested for damaging the century-old Shiva Lingam at the historic Draksharamam Bhimeswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Ambedkar Konaseema district. The vandalism of the Shiva Lingam near the Kapileswar Ghat, close to the North Gopuram of the temple, was discovered early on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Srilam Srinivas, was captured on CCTV near the Kapileswar Ghat around the time of the incident.
Endowments Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy has initiated an investigation into the matter. The accused allegedly vandalized the Shiva Lingam following a dispute with the temple priest over certain rituals. The incident, which took place on Vaikunta Ekadasi, initially sparked widespread protests.
District SP Rahul Meena, along with investigative teams, examined the damaged Shiva Lingam. Despite the absence of CCTV cameras near the temple, the suspect was identified through footage from nearby areas. Following a swift manhunt by special police teams, the suspect, a resident of Thotapeta village in Draksharamam, was apprehended.
Authorities have since heightened security measures at the temple, including the installation of high-definition CCTV cameras and the deployment of additional police personnel. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has instructed officials to bolster the security of temples statewide to prevent similar incidents.
