Tension prevailed in Bulandshahr district after an idol of Shani Dev installed in an ancient Shiva temple in Vaira Firozpur village was desecrated by unknown vandals on Sunday.
Senior officers rushed to the spot along with a heavy police force and assured the protesters of getting the statue replaced and initiating legal proceedings against the miscreants.
As per reports, Shani Dev idol was worshipped in an ancient temple near a primary school in Vaira Firozpur village of Bulandshahr till Saturday night. On Sunday morning, Ramesh, who cleans the temple, found the idol placed under a Peepal tree. It had been vandalised.
As the news of idol’s desecration spread in the village, angry locals assembled on the temple premises and protested.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Subhash Singh, Circle Officer Manish Yadav and Station House Officer Narendra Kumar Sharma rushed to the village to take stock of the situation. The officials pacified the villagers by promising to install a new statue and to take stern action against the miscreants.
The officials said that some locals had been drinking on the temple premises and it was suspected that they may have desecrated and damaged the idol.
Later, the desecrated idol was immersed in the Ganga river at Brajghat. A new idol will be installed in the temple on Saturday.