A video of the incident surfaced on social media shows the incident taking place at Kaal Bhairav temple located in the Gwarighat area in Jabalpur district.

The accused person not only offered the cigarette to the deity but recorded the disrespectful act on his mobile phone, making it viral.

In the viral video, the youth is not only seen placing a cigarette on Kaal Bhairav's idol but could also be heard appealing to others to do the same to seek blessings.

"If you offer cigarettes to Lord Kaal Bhairav, the deity will fulfil your all wishes," the accused can be heard saying.

The exact date of the viral video is yet to be ascertained as the police probe is underway.

Police said that they first found the video on the Facebook account with the user's name Akash Goswami.

The viral video circulated widely on social media has drawn flak from the netizens, calling it “disrespectful and inappropriate”.

Police said upon receiving a complaint from a group of priests of the temple, a complaint has been registered at Gwarighat police station and the accused (unidentified) has been booked for hurting religious sentiments and other relevant charges.

Jabalpur Additional SP Anand Kaladgi said a thorough investigation has been launched into the incident.

SP Kaladgi said that they are tracing the accused through his Facebook account, and assured that strict action will be taken in the case.

“A special team is investigating the case and the accused will be arrested soon,” he said.

He added that police personnel have been also deployed at the temple premises.

It is believed that the centuries-old Kaal Bhairav temple in Jabalpur district was established during the reign of Gondwana dynasty ruler Rani Durgavati.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS