Kali Mata idol found dressed as Mother Mary in Mumbai temple; video goes viral, priest held

Mumbai: The idol of Hindu Goddess Kali Mata was found by devotees dressed as Mother Mary in a temple in Mumbai, leading police to arrest a priest of the shrine, an official said on Tuesday.

According to the RCF police station official, a video has surfaced on social media showing the Kali Mata idol dressed as Mother Mary in the temple in suburban Chembur.

Devotees visiting the temple on Sunday were taken aback to find the idol of Goddess Kali dressed in attire resembling that of the mother of Jesus Christ. They contacted the local police and told them about the change in the deity's attire.

When quizzed by devotees, a temple priest, identified only as Ramesh, claimed the Hindu Goddess appeared in his dream and instructed him to "adorn her in the form of Mother Mary".

A case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the priest for hurting religious feelings of a community, according to police.

The priest was subsequently arrested and produced before a local court, which remanded him to two days of police custody, they said.

Cops were now ascertaining if there was any organised motive behind the incident or whether more persons were involved in it, the official added.