Malappuram: A 37-year-old muslim man was arrested on Sunday for trespassing into a Hindu Mandir and vandalising a murti at Kuttichathankavu in Mummulli near Nilambur in Malappuram district. The accused, identified as Nadeer, a native of Enanthi in Nilambur, was taken into custody by Nilambur police following a complaint filed by a representative of the mandir family. After his arrest, Nadeer and his associates resorted to a familiar jihadi tactic by claiming that he was mentally ill.
According to the complaint, Nadeer arrived at the Mandir in a car around 3 pm, accompanied by a 14-year-old child. He has entered the Devi shrine, damaged the murti, and broken the lock of the Mandir office. Venugopalan, a member of the Mandir family, stated that the accused created panic inside the premises and caused deliberate damage to sacred property. Mandir authorities immediately alerted the police, following which a case was registered.
Police teams led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Saju K Abraham reached the spot and initiated an investigation. Based on information collected from the scene, officers identified the vehicle used in the incident and traced it to Karuvarakund. Acting on this lead, Nilambur Sub-Inspector K Ratheesh, with assistance from Karuvarakund police, arrested Nadeer.
Police sources said the accused was working at a muslim mosque in the area at the time of his arrest. After being taken into custody, Nadeer was produced before the judge at the Manjeri residence court later that night and was remanded to judicial custody for 15 days. He has been booked under multiple sections, including Sections 324(4), 298, 351(2), and 3(5), which relate to intentional damage, deliberate acts intended to insult religious beliefs, criminal intimidation, and conduct disrupting communal harmony.
Police said investigations are ongoing to determine what motivated the act, whether any external influence or organised support was involved, and why a minor child was taken along during the incident.
Malappuram is a Muslim-majority district in Kerala, with Muslims constituting around 70 per cent of the population, followed by Hindus at roughly 27 per cent and Christians at about 3 per cent. The district also carries a complex and often painful historical memory, including the 1921 Malabar Rebellion, during which large-scale violence, forced conversions, killings of Hindus, and the destruction of Mandirs were reported in several parts of the region. Because of this historical backdrop and its sensitive demographic composition, incidents involving attacks on places of worship or acts that inflame religious tensions in Malappuram acquire heightened significance and are closely watched by both the administration and civil society.
