Bengaluru: Lingayat Seer Shivakumar Swami's Statue Vandalised, Accused Claims 'Lord Jesus Inspired Act'

The accused, identified as Srikrishna, a 37-year-old delivery executive, was arrested by the police shortly after the incident.

The revered Lingayat seer Shivakumar Swami statue, located at Bengaluru's Siddaganga Mutt, was defaced during an act of vandalism on November 30. The accused, identified as Srikrishna, a 37-year-old delivery executive, was arrested by the police shortly after the incident.

Srikrishna, originally from Andhra Pradesh, reportedly confessed to the crime during police interrogation. He claimed that he was “inspired” by a vision of Jesus Christ in his dream, which led him to destroy the statue, as per a report on India Today.

The incident occurred around 1:30 am in the Veerabhadra Nagar area of Bengaluru, where Srikrishna allegedly approached the statue and partially defaced it before fleeing the scene.

 

The desecration was discovered by local residents the following morning, who were quick to alert the authorities.

The act has sparked outrage among the local community, especially within the Lingayat community, who hold Shivakumar Swami in high esteem. Shivakumar Swami, often hailed as the "walking god," was born on April 1, 1907, in Veerapura, Karnataka. He lastly led the education society that manages over 1,100 educational institutions across Karnataka. Shivakumar Swami dedicated his life to philanthropy.

The police are continuing their investigation into the motives behind the act while citizens have expressed concern over the growing incidents of religiously charged violence and vandalism.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Bangalore strongly condemned the vandalism incident. While refuting the accused's claim that he was inspired by a dream involving Jesus Christ, Archbishop described it as "unfortunate and deeply disturbing".