A 33-year-old resident of Malangwa Municipality 8, Rakesh Sitta, has been apprehended for allegedly vandalizing a statue at Jhilimilia Temple in Sarlahi, Janakpurdham.
Sarlahi police took Rakesh into custody on Wednesday, charging him with offenses related to religion. According to SP Shyam Kumar Mahato, Chief of Sarlahi Police, Rakesh was arrested based on evidence found at the scene, where the statue was discovered vandalized on Tuesday night.
The Malangwa District Court has granted the police an extension of five days for further investigation and action against Rakesh.
In response to the temple idol’s destruction, locals in Malangwa staged a protest by closing down the market area.
Under Article 1 of the Criminal Code of Civil Code 2074, damaging a religious or sacred place carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of up to 50,000 rupees.
