CHENNAI: Vadapalani police arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly vandalising items inside a local mosque and Madrasa near Kodambakkam in the early hours of Wednesday.

The arrested person, a native of Pudukkottai, was working at a parotta shop in Pondy Bazaar for the past three months and was staying at the shop. The shop owner had reportedly dismissed him after he repeatedly broke items at the workplace during sudden outbursts.

Around 5 am on Wednesday, Saravanan allegedly trespassed into the mosque and damaged a CCTV camera, a Wi-Fi modem, smashed windowpanes and allegedly tore a copy of the Quran.

Following a complaint from mosque officials, Vadapalani police rushed to the spot and took nearly an hour to bring him under control. He was admitted to the Government Royapettah Hospital for treatment for his injuries.

During a preliminary inquiry, police learnt that Saravanan had been receiving treatment for a mental health condition at the IMH, Kilpauk, since November 2024. His mother told the police that the family was unable to manage his condition at their home in Pudukkottai and that he had also been admitted to a private de-addiction centre for some time. Police suspect that he had stopped taking his prescribed medication.

Police are also investigating whether Saravanan was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident. They ruled out the involvement of any religious group behind the incident.