Man arrested over Nadi sacrilege cases, 5 juveniles quizzed in temple stoning

Police have arrested a man in his 30s in connection with a string of sacrilege cases in Nadi.

The Western Division Taskforce made the arrest this week and recovered several religious statues believed to have been stolen.

The suspect remains in custody and is being questioned as investigations continue.

In a separate incident in Sawani, five juveniles aged 15 and 17 were interviewed under caution in the presence of their parents after allegedly stoning a temple last week.

Police said the youths admitted throwing stones onto the roof of the temple as they walked past on the night of the incident.

The investigation file will be submitted to the Divisional Crime Officer before being referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.

Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu stressed that these cases were not politically motivated.

“Most often, the motive is either for financial gain, internal disputes between members, or simply youths behaving in an unruly manner,” Commissioner Tudravu said.