Bengaluru man claims 'dream’ ordered him to vandalise Dr Shivakumara Swami’s statue, arrested

The revered 111-year-old seer Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru passed away in 2019.

A 34-year-old delivery agent was arrested in Bengaluru for vandalising the bronze statue of the late Dr Shivakumara Swami of Tumakuru Siddaganga Mutt.

The statue, which was installed five years ago by the Jaya Karnataka Janapara Vedike near Veerabhadranagar bus stand in Girinagar, was defaced on November 30.(X/ Arvind Bellad)

According to The New Indian Express, the accused has been identified as Raj Vishnu, also known as Shiva Krishna, who resides in Byadarahalli.

During the investigation, Vishnu reportedly claimed that he was instructed to commit the act in a dream, the report added. The statue, which was installed five years ago by the Jaya Karnataka Janapara Vedike near Veerabhadranagar bus stand in Girinagar, was defaced on November 30.

The accused had noticed the statue on his way to work earlier. That same night, he returned on a scooter with a hammer and damaged the idol. The incident was discovered the following morning.

The local residents were outraged, staging a protest demanding strict action against the man. Paramesh, the president of the Vedike, filed an official complaint and urged police to examine CCTV footage in the area, the TNIE further reported.

This footage ultimately led to tracking down and arresting the accused on Wednesday.

The incident also drew attention on social media, with BJP MLA Arvind Bellad sharing the news on X (formerly Twitter).

A formal complaint has been submitted to Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda. Further investigation is underway.

‘Walking god’

Karnataka’s 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt at Tumakuru, died in 2019.

Three days of state mourning was announced in the state by the then Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara. 

Known among his followers as a “walking god” and an incarnation of the 12th century social reformer Basava, the Lingayat seer also heads the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, which runs about 125 educational institutions in the state - from engineering colleges to business schools.

(With PTI inputs)