Hyderabad Man Arrested for Vandalizing Secunderabad Temple Linked to Multiple Acts of Desecration

The Hyderabad police have arrested Salman Salim Thakur, a 30-year-old man from Maharashtra, for vandalizing the Muthyalamma Temple in Secunderabad. Thakur, who has a history of similar offenses in Mumbai, desecrated the main idol in the temple early in the morning on October 14.

According to police reports, Salman entered the temple around 4:30 a.m. and vandalized the main deity. He had been staying in Hyderabad to attend a personality development workshop at Hotel Metropolis. Thakur, a B.E. computer engineering graduate from Mumbra, Maharashtra, was reportedly influenced by radical Islamic preachers like Zakir Naik. His social media activity revealed increasing hostility towards Hindus and idol worship practices.

This was not Thakur’s first involvement in such acts. In September 2022, he disrupted a Ganesh festival in Mumbai by entering a pandal with his footwear and confronting locals. A similar incident occurred in August 2024, when he trespassed into another temple and damaged an idol. The Hyderabad police have charged Thakur under multiple sections of the law, including trespassing, vandalism, and insulting religious beliefs. An investigation is ongoing, and officials have urged the public to avoid spreading rumors.

In response to the incident, Hyderabad’s North Zone police have intensified their scrutiny of hotels and lodges in the area. A meeting with over 200 lodge and hotel owners stressed the importance of adhering to legal regulations, including maintaining proper records of guests, submitting daily entries to local police, and ensuring the presence of CCTV cameras. The Metropolis Hotel, where Thakur stayed, had its trade license suspended, and a case has been registered against both the hotel management and the event organizer, Munawar Zama.

Hotel owners have been warned that any involvement in illegal activities such as drug peddling or prostitution will result in strict legal action.