Man held for damaging temple idols in Tirupattur

The 40-year-old man said he damaged the idols because he felt the granite idols inside the temples were against tradition. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

The Ambur Taluk police arrested a 40-year-old man in Tirupattur on Tuesday for allegedly damaging granite idols at the local Vinayagar temple.

Police said the arrested person has been identified as R. Suresh Babu, a resident of Madhanur village near Ambur town. Initial investigation revealed that devotees visited the temple on Monday as part of Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations when they saw damage to several Amman idols in the temple.

They informed the temple authorities who alerted the local police. A team of police officers from Ambur Taluk inspected the spot. A case has been registered and special teams are analyzing CCTV footage of the area.

Police said the suspect lives across the street from the temple. CCTV footage showed him entering the temple and leaving the premises in a hurry. When the police questioned Babu, he told them that he had damaged the granite idols as he felt that such granite idols in the temple were against tradition.

He was arrested and lodged in Vellore Central Jail. A probe is underway.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 0:32 IST