Police in Bagha upazila of Rajshahi have arrested a man accused of illegally occupying the residence of a member of the Sanatan community and vandalizing idols in the process.
The arrestee is Md Altaf Ali, 52, of Jotarghu village under Bagha police station, confirmed Rajshahi district Additional Superintendent of Police (DSB) Rafiqul Islam in a press release on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the press release, the victim, Sri Rup Sanatan Dob, 50, a resident of Jotarghu village, had travelled to India on August 2. While he was still in India on August 5, amid political unrest in the country, he was informed that Altaf had broken into his house, looted Tk46,000 from a steel box in the bedroom, and vandalized religious idols.
The accused and his accomplices also attacked Dob's aunt with bamboo sticks, injuring her severely. They desecrated the family temple by damaging the idols and a sacred tulsi plant altar and subsequently took control of the homestead and adjacent land belonging to Sri Rup Sanatan Dob.
Following the report, Bagha police launched raids in different areas of the upazila. Altaf was arrested from Adani Bazar on the night of September 9, while efforts are underway to arrest the other suspects involved in the crime.
Bagha police have since recovered the occupied residence and handed it over to Dob's uncle, Ranju Dob.
A criminal case has been filed with Bagha police station, naming three individuals and 5-6 unidentified others.
Altaf Ali has been presented in court following his arrest. Authorities are continuing their investigation to bring all the culprits to justice.