Statue of Mother Mary vandalised in Mumbai; 2 booked

Mumbai:  A statue of Mother Mary was allegedly desecrated by unknown persons in suburban Kurla in the wee hours today, following which two unidentified persons were booked, police said.

The grotto of Mother Mary installed on a roadside in Kurla was desecrated at around 4 AM, they said.

The incident had led to tension in the area and police later pacified the angry locals and brought the situation under control, a senior police official said.

In the CCTV footage, two bikers, with face covered under helmets, were seen desecrating the statue, he said, adding a case was registered at the VB Nagar Police station against the two.

Two unidentified persons were booked under section 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship), 427 (mischief causing damage) of IPC, the official said.

Reacting to the incident, social activist Nicholas Almeida said this kind of disturbance happens every now and then during election time.

He demanded strict action against the culprits.