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Kali idol found dressed as Mother Mary in Mumbai, temple priest arrested
Chembur police arrested the temple priest and charged him with hurting the religious sentiments of a community.
An idol of the Hindu goddess Kali was reportedly found dressed as Mother Mary in a temple in Mumbai. The priest of the shrine was detained after he allegedly admitted that the goddess had appeared in his dreams and instructed him to dress the idol in that manner.
The incident took place at a Kali Mata temple in suburban Chembur. Devotees visiting the temple on Sunday were taken aback to find the idol of goddess Kali dressed in attire resembling that of the mother of Jesus Christ, news agency PTI reported.
According to an official from the RCF police station, a video also surfaced on social media showing the Kali Mata idol dressed as Mother Mary. In the video, the idol can be seen wearing golden robes and a large crown with white embellishments. It is also shown holding a child figure in her arms, presumed to represent baby Jesus.
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Following this, the devotees contacted the local police and informed them about the change in attire. The police questioned the temple priest, identified as Ramesh, who claimed that the Hindu goddess appeared in his dream and instructed him to “adorn her in the form of Mother Mary.”
The police have registered a case under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the priest for hurting the religious feelings of a community, according to the police.
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He was subsequently arrested and produced before a local court, which remanded him to two days of police custody, police officials said. Further investigation is underway, and the cops are trying to find out whether there is any organised motive behind the incident or if more persons were involved in it, officials added.
(With inputs from PTI)
