Berhampur: A youth was assaulted, tonsured and paraded in the village after being garlanded with shoes for allegedly stealing an 800-year-old Ashtadhatu idol of Goddess Parvati from Kapileshwar temple at Chhanameri village under Digapahandi block in Ganjam district Sunday.
Sudarshan Choudhury of Adua Sahi stole the idol during a power cut Saturday evening and escaped, covering the idol in a napkin.
The villagers searched for him in nearby Dengaosta, Aska, Digapahandi and even at Berhampur bus stand and railway station but failed to trace him.
They finally caught him near Dengaosta village Sunday morning and questioned him about the stolen idol.
Later, they lured him to the village community hall where they tied him to an electric pole and beat him up.
He admitted to the theft following which villagers recovered the idol from a compost pit on the backyard of his house.
The humiliation did not end here. The accused was tonsured and garlanded with shoes before being paraded in the entire village.
Digapahandi police rescued the youth in critical condition and admitted him to the Digapahandi Community Health Centre.
Later, police detained him and launched an investigation. The temple managing committee president Sukant Pradhan lodged a complaint and the temple premises were sanctified as per a decision.
Some onlookers shot the entire incident on their smart phones and posted it on social media.
IIC Basant Kumar Sethy said Choudhury was suffering from mental depression due to his family problems and stole the idol under the circumstances.
PNN