Tension prevailed in the Tappachabutra area of Hyderabad after the Jirra Hanuman Temple was alleged to have been desecrated, with pieces of meat being discovered near the Shiva Lingam on Wednesday morning.
The incident triggered outrage among locals, who were joined by BJP workers. Devotees, alarmed at the sight of meat inside the temple, alerted the police, who took control of the situation.
However, the police have concluded that it was a cat that left the meat at the temple.
“During the investigation, CCTV footage from the north-facing camera of the temple clearly showed a cat carrying a piece of meat in its mouth and entering the temple premises. The footage conclusively proved that the cat was responsible for placing the meat behind the Shiva Lingam,” G Chandra Mohan, DCP (South West), said in a statement.
Four teams were formed to analyse CCTV footage from the surrounding area. They examined 17 CCTV cameras and concluded that no one had entered the temple between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The police have also appealed to the public to refrain from spreading misinformation about the incident.
Earlier, the police hinted that a cat or a dog might be to blame even as they assured that if any human being was found to be involved, they would not be spared.
About 50 people from the neighbourhood protested outside the temple in the morning. More activists from the BJP, BJYM and VHP joined in and continued the protest into the afternoon.
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And in a video posted on X, BJP MLA T Raja Singh had called for the culprits to be brought to justice. “Under Congress rule, once again, anti-social elements have attempted to disrupt peace in the Tappachabutra area in the old city of #Hyderabad by targeting the Hanuman Mandir,” he wrote in the post.
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