Man posing as Shiva devotee digs up road claiming to unearth 'Lingam'

A 30-year-old man, posing as an ardent Shiva devotee dug up an area near Pembarthy village adjoining the Hyderabad-Warangal road in Telangana along with others after claiming that he had a dream that there was a Shiva Lingam underground, police said today.

The incident happened on Monday in Warangal district even as police after getting the information immediately reached the spot and stopped the digging work and got the pit filled up, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Jangaon Division), T Padmanabha Reddy said.

Following complaint from Panchayat Raj department a case was booked on charge of mischief under relevant sections of the IPC, he said.

"Further investigations are on. No one has been arrested. We are taking video footage of the excavation work from media persons and after verifying we can come to a conclusion," the ACP told PTI over phone.

Based on preliminary investigation, the senior police officer said, "one L Manoj claimed that he had been getting dreams for the past three years of Lord Shiva wherein the God had told him of a Shiva Lingam inside the ground."

A local Sarpanch and some villagers also believed the version of Manoj and on Monday he along with other villagers started digging work near an area adjoining the Hyderabad-Warangal road. "We stopped the digging work. Though, they had dig up around 15-feet pit, but found nothing...we got the pit filled," Reddy said.

"The Panchayat Raj department officials lodged a complaint seeking necessary action over the digging incident. Investigations are underway and once its complete, the exact reasons behind this act will be known, an Investigating Officer said.