Man Arrested for Vandalism Attempt on Gandhi Statue in Pune

Pune (The Uttam Hindu) : A 35-year-old man, believed to be mentally unstable, allegedly attempted to desecrate Mahatma Gandhi's statue at Pune railway station on Sunday night, police said. The accused, identified as Suraj Shukla, originally from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, was caught by bystanders during the act and handed over to the police. He was later arrested and a case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Milind Mohite stated that the man appeared mentally unstable and was carrying some religious books along with a billhook — a sharp-edged tool — which he used in his attempt to damage the statue. However, he was stopped before he could cause significant harm. An official clarified that while the statue itself remained undamaged, a small tile on the pedestal was broken when the man climbed onto it. Shukla, a resident of Pune's Vishrantwadi area, reportedly sells ‘rudraksh’ (holy beads) for a living and had purchased the weapon from Wai in Satara district.

Following the incident, local Congress workers staged a protest near the statue, demanding strict legal action against the accused. Arvind Shinde, president of the Pune Congress unit, condemned the act, stating that it was a serious attempt to insult the Father of the Nation. “A large number of Congress workers gathered at the site to protest and urged authorities to take stern action,” Shinde added. Police are continuing their investigation into the matter.