Bengaluru: A 17-year-old boy has been detained for defacing the Lakshmi Bhuvaneshwari idol on New Tippasandra Main Road, reportedly out of frustration over repeated failures in the SSLC exam.

Jeevan Bhima Nagar police have taken the minor into custody and sent him to a juvenile home.

Residents filed a complaint after discovering the defaced idol. Upon investigation, CCTV footage revealed the boy vandalizing the idol late at night.

The boy, a resident of Tippasandra, had failed the SSLC exam thrice. His anger allegedly led him to vandalize the idol and break religious photographs, claiming that ‘no gods exist’.

Police have referred the case to the Juvenile Justice Board for further proceedings.