Man vandalises temple in Jammu over ‘black magic’; held

JAMMU: A temple was vandalised on the outskirts of Jammu, police said on Sunday, adding that the perpetrator was arrested within hours of the incident.
The man, alleged to be responsible for the vandalism and arson at the temple, claimed he carried out the act on Saturday night after being “annoyed by black magic being practised by some some members of the community” at the temple, they said.
Arjun Sharma, a local resident, confessed to his involvement before the magistrate, solving the case within a few hours of the incident, Jammu (rural) superintendent of police Brijesh Sharma told reporters here.
The SP said the timely arrest of the culprit has averted a potential flare-up over the issue. This was the second incident of vandalism reported at a place of worship in the past week in the Jammu region. Earlier, a place of worship was found vandalised in a village in Reasi district on June 30, with police detaining 43 suspected persons for questioning.
The investigation of the case is still at its initial stage and further details will emerge with the completion of the probe, the SP said.