In an attempt to find treasure, an ancient Basava idol was stolen from the Eshwara temple at Melagani village and destroyed on the outskirts of the village by miscreants.
The incident came to light on Tuesday.
Noted historian Sesha Shastri has elaborately mentioned about the historical temple, which can be found at Bangalore’s Mythic Society’s books.
The idol was found missing last week but it could not be traced till Tuesday.
Police visited the spot and booked a case in this regard.