MARGAO
Sao Jose de Areal witnessed an uproar late Tuesday night after miscreants desecrated the statue of St Joseph near the Panchayat Ghar.
Acting swiftly, the Maina Curtorim police nabbed the accused, Rahul Singh Chouhan, a native of Raibareli Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Police said the 36-year-old accused, presently employed at a hotel at Rumdamol, was detained and arrested in connection with the damage caused to the St Joseph statue.
Maina Curtorim Police Station in-charge PI Kapil Nayak informed that during the inquiry, the accused admitted to committing the act and stated that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. The incident was captured on CCTV footage.
The incident triggered an uproar in Areal since this is the third time that the statue of St Joseph has been vandalised by miscreants.
Panchayat members, along with civil society member Freddy Travasso, demanded immediate action in the matter.
Former Curtorim Zilla Panchayat member Moreno Rebello said incidents of desecration and vandalism are on the rise because of the lack of seriousness by the police in taking matters relating to hate speech to their logical conclusion.
