Man arrested for damaging Ambedkar’s statue in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar

The Chamarajanagar police have arrested a 31-year-old man identified as Manjunath for allegedly damaging B.R. Ambedkar’s statue and defacing his image on a flex banner in Jyothigowdanapura village in Chamarajanagar district.

Superintendent of Chamarajanagar district police B.T. Kavitha said that a total of seven special teams had been constituted by the district police to investigate the reported damage to Ambedkar’s statue between 11 p.m. on October 23 and 5.30 a.m. on October 24 after a case was registered at the Chamarajanagar East Police station under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.

The accused had not only damaged Ambedkar’s statue, but also vandalized the idol of Buddha at Lumbini Buddha Vihar, while also defacing flex banners of Ambedkar in Jyothigowdanapura.

During the investigation of the “highly sensitive case”, Ms. Kavitha said that the police examined 86 CCTVs in and around Jyothigowdanapura and nearby areas while also analysing 1,877 call detail records (CDRs) and scrutinising cell ID and tower dump data from 24 locations.

Apart from extensively using technical and scientific investigation methods, the police gathered clues from lodges, bars, and restaurants around Chamarajanagar town, and from the local beat staff, crime branch, and informants.

Based on “technical evidence” and “credible leads”, the police zeroed down on Manjunath, a resident of Jyothigowdanapura, who works in a shamiana business.

After he was taken into custody and interrogated, the accused, belonging to the Nayaka community, revealed that he had quarreled with women belonging to the Scheduled Caste community in the village and had hit one of them with a slipper. Following the incident, the village elders convened a panchayat meeting and penalised him ₹60,000, that he agreed to pay.

He reportedly pledged gold from his house and paid ₹30,000 initially and later sold his motorcycle to pay the remaining fine of ₹30,000.

Due to a grudge developed as a consequence of this incident, the accused, under the influence of alcohol, had committed the act of vandalism, the police said.

The Superintendent of Police has commended all the officers involved, including Additional Superintendent of Police Shashidhar, Deputy Superintendents of Police Sneharaj and Dharmendra, besides the other staff for their diligent and coordinated efforts in the investigation.