📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / William Hodges
Crime
Five Arrested in Keonjhar Over Alleged Desecration of Santal Temple
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 11 Nov 2026, 08:37 PM
👁 19
Five individuals were taken into custody by police in Keonjhar district, Odisha, after accusations that they vandalised a Santal place of worship.
Police in Keonjhar district, Odisha, arrested five men on Tuesday after allegations that they vandalised a Santal place of worship.
The accused were reportedly found with items that could have been used to damage the shrine, according to a police statement.
The Santal community, which has a long-standing presence in the region, has expressed shock over the incident.
Authorities have said that a thorough investigation is underway and that the arrested individuals will be charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The case has drawn attention to the need for safeguarding minority religious sites in the state.
The accused were reportedly found with items that could have been used to damage the shrine, according to a police statement.
The Santal community, which has a long-standing presence in the region, has expressed shock over the incident.
Authorities have said that a thorough investigation is underway and that the arrested individuals will be charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The case has drawn attention to the need for safeguarding minority religious sites in the state.