Hyderabad, Nov 5 (IANS): A temple in Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad was vandalised on Tuesday, police said.

When the priest of the temple in Airport Colony came in the morning to perform daily rituals, he found idols vandalised.

Alerted by the priest and the locals, the police rushed to the spot and began investigations. The police suspect the miscreants entered the temple and vandalised it late Monday night.

On receiving the information, local BJP leaders also reached the temple and demanded stringent punishment for those involved.

The police have reportedly picked up a suspect and were questioning him.

The latest incident came nearly three weeks after an act of vandalism at Muthyalamma temple in Secunderabad.

On October 14, a man barged into Sri Muthyalamma Temple located at Kummarguda, in the Market Police Station limits and damaged the idol. Locals caught hold of him, thrashed him and later handed him over to police.

As the accused was critically injured, he was admitted to a hospital.

Two days later, police revealed that the accused was Salman Salim Thakur alias Salman, a native of Mumbra, Near Mumbai. The police investigations revealed that the 30-year-old came to Hyderabad in October to attend a month-long personality development workshop. Last week, the accused was produced in the court, which sent him to judicial custody.

The vandalism had triggered protests by VHP, Bajrang Dal and other organisations.