Not the first time: Muthyalamma temple vandal demolished idols in Mumbai also

Salman Salim Thakur, who was arrested for allegedly vandalising the idol at the Sri Muthyalamma Temple in Secunderabad, reportedly has been involved in similar acts of vandalism in Mumbai.
This incident is not Thakur’s first brush with the law for similar offences. A resident of Mumbra, near Mumbai in Maharashtra, he has previously been involved in multiple cases of vandalism targeting religious idols.
In 2022, he was booked for entering a Ganesh Pandal with his footwear and mocking the practice of idol worship, an act that angered devotees. Earlier this year, he was arrested once again for damaging the idol of Lord Shankar at a temple in Mira-Bhayandar, Maharashtra.
The Hyderabad police revealed that Thakur had become self-radicalised over time, primarily through exposure to videos by controversial Islamic preachers like Zakir Naik. These videos reportedly influenced his extremist views, leading him to develop deep-seated animosity towards idol worship, which is central to many Hindu religious practices.
The suspect allegedly entered the sanctum-sanctorum early in the morning and desecrated the temple’s main idol before locals caught him and handed him over to the police.
The desecration of the temple has sparked outrage among the local community, with authorities working to maintain order and ensure justice is served.
Thakur had arrived in Hyderabad earlier this month to attend a month-long personality development workshop organised by the English House Academy. The workshop was being held at Hotel Metropolis in Secunderabad. During their investigation, the police found that the premises had been rented illegally for the course, and legal action is being taken against the workshop’s organisers.