Hassan (Karnataka), Sep 21 (PTI) A Lord Ganesha idol at a temple in Belur town here was allegedly desecrated with a pair of footwear placed on it, leading to outrage among locals, police said on Sunday.
The incident is said to have taken place late Saturday night.
The footwears on the idol was noticed by locals on Sunday, who routinely visit the temple in the morning to offer prayers.
Police said they have taken a woman into custody in connection with the incident, and she is being subjected to inquiry.
Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sujeetha told reporters that the accused woman is a "bit unstable" and she will be subjected to detailed medical examination as well.
"She is said to have indulged in similar acts at the home too, according to the family and it will be inquired into....she used to sell flowers and lived in Hassan's Vijayanagara with her mother and two sons, one of them is differently-abled. She lost her husband six years after her marriage," the SP said.
Earlier in the day, the locals staged a protest demanding action against the miscreants who were behind the incident.
Following the analysis of footage captured by CCTV cameras nearby, police had said that the suspect, prima facie, was an act of a woman, who seemed to be mentally ill.
The CCTV footage shows the woman's face covered with a cloth and there seems to be a similarity between the footwear she was wearing when entering the temple and the one placed on the idol, they added.
Mohammad Sujeetha and local administration officials had earlier in the day visited the site, and tried to convince the protesters and assess the situation.
A case has been registered based on a complaint by the temple officials.
The SP had assured the protesters that justice would be done, and informed them that eight teams had been formed to nab the accused.
Meanwhile, priests performed a purification ritual for the desecrated Ganapati idol, sources said.
BJP leader and MLC C T Ravi, who visited the temple along with Belur MLA H K Suresh, condemning the act, termed it an act of "instigating Hindus" and demanded a comprehensive probe to find those behind it.