Hyderabad Police Investigate Radicalization Behind Secunderabad Temple Attack
Authorities have identified the suspect in the temple vandalism incident that occurred at Kummariguda in Secunderabad.
Hyderabad: Authorities have identified the suspect in the temple vandalism incident that occurred at Kummariguda in Secunderabad.
The individual, Salman Salim Thakur, also known as Salman (30), hails from Maharashtra and arrived in the city a month ago to participate in a personality development workshop.
According to the Hyderabad Police, the suspect was influenced by the speeches of certain Islamic speakers online, leading him to adopt a radical mindset towards other communities.
Salman, originally from Mumbra, Maharashtra, is a Computer Engineering graduate and was actively engaged on social media platforms.
The police report indicates that he began watching videos of religious preachers, including the fugitive Zakir Naik, on Facebook and YouTube, which contributed to his self-radicalization and fostered animosity towards other religious practices.
Initial investigations reveal that the suspect traveled to Hyderabad in the first week of October to attend a month-long personality development workshop organized by English House Academy, led by Munawar Zama, Mohd. Kafeel Ahmed, and others, at a hotel in Rezimental Bazar.
However, authorities found that the hotel was rented without the necessary permissions for hosting the academic course. Legal action is being initiated against the hotel management for this violation.
The police also discovered that the suspect has a history of similar incidents in Mumbai. In 2022, he entered a Ganesh pandal wearing his footwear and mocked local residents regarding the practice of idolatry. In 2024, he trespassed into a temple and vandalized an idol in Mira Road.
Authorities have urged the public to refrain from spreading rumors or speculating about the incident as the investigation is ongoing.
The vandalism occurred in the early hours of October 14 when the suspect entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and desecrated the main idol. The Monda Market police are currently handling the investigation.
