Representative image of a temple chariot.
Credit: PTI Photo
Anantapur: A chariot of Hanuman temple at a village in the district was allegedly set ablaze by unidentified persons early on Tuesday, and five people have been detained in this connection.
Anantapur district superintendent of police P Jagadeesh said the incident was not communal, but a fallout of some altercation between two groups within the same community.
“It is not communal... Two people donated it two years ago and there was a discord between them,” he said.
According to police, a dispute arose over the parking of the chariot in a public place, and the donors were asked to keep it in their home.
However, following talks, Jagadeesh said it was agreed to build a shed to park the chariot, which was allegedly torched by unidentified persons in the small hours of Tuesday. Five people were taken into custody by the police. It is suspected that members of the opposing group in the village were behind the incident.
A complaint was lodged on Tuesday morning and a case is yet to be registered. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took note of the incident and enquired about it with the district officials. Condemning the incident, the CM ordered a probe to identify and arrest the culprits.