Patna: Police booked two persons after they entered and removed two religious books from a temple located under the premise of Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya.
The accused were later identified as Pradeep Maurya and Vivek Kant Maurya both residents of Uttar Pradesh. One of the accused Vivek Kant hails from Chandauli district while the other belongs to Bhadohi of UP.
Both the accused entered the Panch Pandava temple and forcibly removed two religious books from there, despite opposition from the temple priest on Tuesday. The duo then reportedly threw the books in a nearby sacred pond.
The security personnel stationed at the temple premise however gave a chase to the duo and nabbed them immediately. The duo was later handed over to police. They were booked under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita and sent to judicial custody subsequently.
According to the reports, the accused were seen roaming around the temple premises with banners, opposing the management committee of the Mahabodhi temple earlier in the day. They later entered the temple as visitors and removed the books.
The officials of the district administration also reached the temple premise and took stock of the security arrangements. Security of the temple premises has been beefed up following the incident.
