Rumours of desecration of idols at ancient temple create flutter

Police clarify that the temple has been in dilapidated condition for two decades

Rumours that some miscreants had desecrated idols at an ancient temple near Puthalapattu mandal headquarters created a flutter among the public on Sunday evening. However, it was later found that the temple, dating back to centuries, has been in a dilapidated condition for two decades. According to information, a social media post said that some miscreants gained entry into the temple, which is not functional at present, and vandalized the idols. Alerted by the unconfirmed message, Deputy SP (Law and Order) N. Sudhakar Reddy and his team rushed to Vavilthota village, 20 km from here, only to find that the dilapidated structure was abandoned several years ago. The police officers said some activists, championing the cause of protection of temples, visited the ancient temple near Puthalapattu and mistook the absence of idols from a temple for an act of vandalism and tried to highlight the matter in a bid to draw attention of the police and district authorities.