17-year-old detained for defacing idol after failing to clear exams
Police said that the teenager, reportedly a devoted worshipper of the deity, allegedly acted out of frustration after failing his SSLC exams for the third time
A 17-year-old boy from Tippasandra Circle in Bengaluru has been detained for allegedly defacing an idol of Lakshmi Bhuvaneshwari at a local temple on Thursday night. The incident came to light the next morning when devotees noticed the damage at the temple and reported it to police, officers said on Sunday.
The teenager, reportedly a devoted worshipper of the deity, allegedly acted out of frustration after failing his SSLC exams for the third time. According to the Jeevan Bima Nagar police, the act was captured on the temple’s CCTV cameras, which showed the boy defacing the idol late in the night. The footage also revealed him wandering on the temple premises alone and talking to himself, they added.
Jeevan Bima Nagar police inspector N Basavaraj said, “We received a complaint from the temple authorities on Friday morning. Upon reviewing CCTV footage from the area, we identified the teenager. During the initial inquiry, we learned that he was a devotee of the temple and had been praying regularly. However, his repeated failure in the SSLC exams seems to have caused significant mental distress, leading to this act.”
The boy was detained and produced before the district juvenile justice board for further action. Police said that he appeared mentally disturbed during questioning. “The investigation is in progress, and we are also looking into whether he requires psychological counselling,” Basavaraj added.
The incident has caused unease in the area, with some residents initially suspecting the involvement of individuals from other communities. However, police have confirmed that the act was a result of personal frustration and not communal in nature.
