A suspect is in custody following the destruction of a Lord Ganesh statue at the Shri Maha Devi Gangaman Temple in Field 28, Rarawai, Ba.
Police have confirmed the suspect is the same person arrested in Nadi earlier this year for allegedly committing a similar offence.
Police say a report was lodged in Ba and an investigation was conducted, leading to the suspect being taken into custody.
The alleged incident happened just days before Diwali, leaving the temple committee and the wider community devastated.
Temple Manager Munen Lingam says the temple committee discovered yesterday morning that the main Lord Ganesh statue was missing from its place, with the caretaker later finding pieces of the one-metre-high statue near a sacred fig tree.
Lingam says the statue had been broken against a stone, with some pieces placed in a sack and others thrown into a nearby creek.
He says this is the second time the temple has been targeted, following an incident in November when a Lord Hanuman statue was damaged and stolen.
Lingam says security at the temple had been strengthened following the previous incident, with additional grills and shutters installed, and plans to install CCTV cameras.
However, he says those responsible managed to cut the lock and damage the grill protecting the Lord Ganesh statue before destroying it.
Lingam says nothing else was stolen or damaged during the latest incident, and the small amount of money left by devotees at the temple was untouched.
He says the incident has deeply affected the temple committee, Ramayan Mandali and families from Field 28 and surrounding communities, particularly as devotees regularly gather there for prayers and religious activities.
Lingam says the community had been preparing for its Diwali celebrations, including a programme scheduled for Saturday, and many are now struggling to understand why the incident happened.
He says the community does not want the incident to create divisions between religions or races.
Police investigations continue.
