Overview
- Police identified the accused as Altaf from Karnataka’s Bidar district, arrested him on January 11, and secured judicial custody after producing him in a city court.
- An FIR at Neredmet police station cites Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions for unlawful entry into a place of worship and insulting religious beliefs, with additional sections flagged by local police for public order and religious offence.
- Videos shared online showed locals confronting and assaulting the man before officers intervened, and authorities urged citizens to avoid rumours and rely on official updates.
- BJP leaders, pro-Hindu groups, and devotees staged protests, with Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao calling the act ‘blasphemous’ and demanding an ‘encounter.’
- Police deployed extra personnel to manage demonstrations and traffic disruption near Neredmet and ECIL stretches, reported restoring order as the investigation continued.