A man, suspected to be a mentally unstable, allegedly tried to desecrate Mahatma Gandhi's statue located at Pune railway station in Maharashtra, police said on Monday.

Some people in the area caught hold of the man after the incident late Sunday night and handed him over to the police, who placed him under arrest, they said.

The accused, identified as Suraj Shukla, hails from Uttar Pradesh, Deputy Commissioner Of Police (Zone 2) Milind Mohite said.

"The man, who looks mentally unstable, had a billhook in his hand and was attempting to desecrate the statue using the sharp tool. However, he was caught by the people around and was handed over to the police," Mohite said.

"The man has been arrested and we have registered a case against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further probe is on," the official said.

Congress city unit president Arvind Shinde alleged the man climbed the pedestal on which the statue is placed and tried to desecrate it.

"We condemn the incident. The Congress workers will provide security to the statue and will stage a protest today to condemn the incident," he said.

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