Melbourne: 1 held for trying to light fire inside gurdwara

A 26-year-old man, who tried to light a fire inside a Gurdwara in Melbourne and then punched a man, was arrested on Wednesday by the Australian police on charges of damaging the complex.

"Officers arrested the man at the Craigieburn railway station around 3.30am and interviewed him at the Broadmeadows police station," the Victorian police said in a statement. He has been charged with criminal damage by fire, as well as other assault related charges and will face Broadmeadows magistrates' court later on Wednesday, the statement added.

The accused had entered Gurdwara at about 7.30pm (local time) on Tuesday. According to Jasvir Singh Uppal, an official of the Gurdwara, the accused tried to light fire to a small cloth with his lighter which was tied to an entry door and then punched a man.

"The fire was quickly put off and no damage has really happened," he said, adding, the motive behind the incident is not yet known. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old victim was taken to the NorthernHospital for treatment.