Three Rohingya juveniles held for damaging idol at temple in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Feb 26 (PTI) Three juveniles, Rohingyas from Myanmar, were apprehended on Thursday for allegedly damaging an idol and stealing a copper vessel from a temple here, police said.

A case was registered following a complaint about the desecration of the Hanuman temple at Barkas, under Chandrayangutta Police Station, and the theft of a copper vessel by unknown offenders on February 24.

During the investigation, special teams reviewed CCTV footage from nearby areas and observed some Children in Conflict with Law (CCL) moving suspiciously while carrying items in a polythene bag, a release from Hyderabad Police said.

The three CCLs were apprehended and, upon verification, “confessed” to breaking the temple lock with a stone, entering the premises, stealing the copper vessel, and damaging the idol, the release added.

Police said the juveniles, all natives of Myanmar, were apprehended from their residences in Balapur.

“The CCLs were involved in vices and hatched a plan to commit theft at Sri Dwimukha Anjaneya Swamy Temple to meet their expenses,” the release said. They were sent to an Observation Home, a police official added.

A scrap dealer, who allegedly received the stolen property, was also arrested, police said.

Referring to the arrests, VHP spokesperson Ravinuthala Shashidhar questioned why “lakhs of Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims across Telangana are not being arrested.” He alleged that “illegal intruders” have established 26 residential colonies near national defence institutions such as DRDO, DRDL, and RCI in Balapur.

In a post on X, he said the Telangana government should not compromise national security for “vote bank politics and appeasement politics.” PTI SJR GDK VVK SSK