22-05-2025
Vadodara: Man arrested for ‘outraging religious sentiments, vandalism'
The Vadodara Police on Thursday arrested a 45-year-old man for alleged vandalism in a temple, and for outraging religious feelings. He was also booked for obstructing a police officer from discharging his duty.
Police said the accused barged into a temple Wednesday night and threatened devotees while rituals were underway, and this led to a brawl.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), G Division, M P Bhojani said, 'As per the complaint, the accused, Irfan Mohammad Shaikh, entered the temple… He used abusive language and manhandled the devotees.'
According to Bhojani, Shaikh also indulged in vandalism and threatened to kill the person who later went to the police.
Bhojani said that following the incident at the temple, officers of the Bapod police station reached the spot immediately and nabbed the accused. When he was taken to a nearby police chowki, Shaikh obstructed the officer on duty and vandalised the furniture on the premises, the ACP said. 'He attempted to assault the police officer and broke a table glass top. He has been booked under a second FIR,' Bhojani said.
The accused was arrested under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult religion of any class), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 296 (obscene acts), 302 (uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person), 324 (mischief), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351 (criminal intimidation), and 329 (criminal trespass and house trespass) following the first FIR. In the second FIR, he was booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 212 (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 221 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions).
