Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh): As many as 11 people including juveniles were arrested in five different cases related to temples, the office of Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police said in a statement on Wednesday.
The official statement detailed about the incidents that took place in three different districts of the state - three in Kurnool, and one each in Guntur rural and West Godavari districts.
"In Guntur district, it was widely publicised that the idol of Goddess Saraswati in the premises of Krishnaveni College in Narasaraopet town was desecrated. But the idol was not damaged. All such reports are not true," the statement read.
According to the official statement, in Nandyal town of Kurnool district, two minor girls stole money from a temple Hundi.
"The police identified the girls with the help of CCTV cameras. One of the girls (15) belongs to Parnapalli village, Bandi Atmakur mandal. Another girl (15) is from Chapirevula village, Nandyal mandal. Their theft is recorded in CCTV Cameras. Case was filed on 10 persons who were digging for hidden treasures in places of worship. Further, five of them were arrested," it said.
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In Kurnool district, four persons were arrested for writing provocative statements on the walls of temples in Adoni town. It was found in CCTV footage that two men cut the wires and interrupted power supply, according to the statement from DGP D Gautam Sawang's office.
Further, in West Godavari district, two juveniles were arrested and cash was fully recovered in the case of breaking of the Hundi in Goddess Pailamma's temple, the statement said.
The statement further informed that 33 cases were registered from Antarvedi temple chariot case. The chariot of the famous Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Antarvedi of East Godavari district was gutted in a fire mishap in the early hours of September 6. A total of 178 persons were arrested in the 76 unresolved cases. However, all are separate incidents.
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"Some people are trying to create unrest in the society by spreading communal hatred messages through social media. The police department will not spare any such attempts, but will take stern action. So people should be alert while making posts in social media. AP police is taking all measures for protection of places of worship, keeping their sanctity intact," it said.
(ANI Report)