The stolen shivling was again established in the temple, police said. (Representational)
A man stole a shivling from a temple in Kaushambi district in Uttar Pradesh apparently after his prayer for marrying the woman of his choice was not fulfilled. Police have arrested the man and recovered the stolen shivling.
According to locals, the accused, Chhotu (27), wanted to marry a woman but his family opposed the match. Hoping that he will be able to persuade his family members with some divine intervention, Chhotu began offering prayers to Lord Shiva.
Locals say that Chhotu used to visit the Shiva temple located in the village every morning. He believed his devotion would help him sway the minds of his family members.
He offered prayers at the Shiva temple for a month, but it had no effect. Chhotu, according to the police, stole the shivling then.
Circle Officer (CO) of the area Abhishesk Kumar told PTI on Wednesday, "Chhotu stole the shivling from the temple during the early hours of September 1 and hid it in the bushes." When villagers found the shivling missing from the temple they informed the police. A team of Mahewa Ghat Police station reached the village and began an investigation.
"We detained Chhotu on suspicion on September 3. He later confessed to his crime," said the officer. The police team also recovered the shivling from the bushes.
The stolen shivling was again established in the temple. The accused has been sent to judicial custody.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)