Hyderabad, Oct 14 : An idol was vandalised at Muthyalamma temple in Secunderabad here on Monday.

Local people caught a person, allegedly responsible for the incident, thrashed him and handed him over to the police. The incident in Kurmaguda near the Passport Office triggered tension.

Union Minister for Mines and Secunderabad MP G. Kishan Reddy visited the temple and enquired about the incident. He along with Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand went inside the temple.

The Union Minister also spoke to the temple committee and local people. A large number of people gathered near the temple, raising slogans against the government.

Secunderabad Cantonment MLA Sriganesh also visited the temple.

A case has been registered at Mahakali Police Station. Further investigation was on.

The incident came three days after the vandalisation of the Durga idol at the Exhibition Ground in Hyderabad.

The October 11 incident triggered tension and some people started blaming the leaders of a political party.

However, the investigation by the police revealed that a mentally disturbed man searching for food entered the pandal and ransacked puja-related material kept near the idol.

Police arrested the accused identified as Krishnaiah Goud. According to police, the accused entered Exhibition Ground on October 10 and stayed there throughout the night.

When a watchman at the pandal went to the washroom around 3 a.m., the accused entered the pandal and ransacked puja-related material and in the process, a part of the idol was damaged. On his return, the watchman found the place ransacked and the accused missing.

In another incident the next day, a piece of meat was found in front of a temple in the Masab Tank area, triggering rumours.

However, police investigations revealed that a stray dog, carrying a piece of meat in its mouth, accidentally dropped it in front of a temple.

The police scanned the CCTV footage around the temple and found that a stray dog picked up a piece of meat from garbage lying nearby and while passing in front of the temple accidentally dropped it.

Police denied reports of desecration and warned legal action against anyone spreading misinformation about the incident.

/IANS