Pune Police have arrested Suraj Shukla, a 28-year-old resident of Varanasi, for allegedly attempting to deface the Mahatma Gandhi statue outside Pune Railway Station shortly after midnight on 7 July. Officers recovered an axe-like weapon that Shukla was reportedly using when bystanders restrained him and alerted authorities. Deputy Commissioner of Police Milind Mohite said preliminary findings suggest the suspect may be mentally unstable. Shukla had been living in Pune for about six weeks, earning a livelihood by selling rudraksha beads, according to investigators. He is being examined for psychological evaluation while police pursue charges under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Local political leaders condemned the incident. Arvind Shinde, president of the city’s Congress unit, called for heightened protection of the monument and said party workers would stage a protest later in the day. The Gandhi statue, a prominent landmark opposite the railway terminus, sustained minor damage, officials added.