P Naresh, group admin of the WhatsApp group, and Sudhakar, a group member who posted the picture of the deity with an audio message, have been arrested, Uppal Police Station Inspector K Narsing Rao said.
The arrests were made on the basis of a suo motu (on their own discretion) complaint filed by the police after going through the post, he said.
"One Sailu had sent the 'derogatory and objectionable' picture of the deity of a particular religion with voice message to Sudhakar, who forwarded the post in the group. The photo shows the deity at the feet of a man," the police official said.
A conviction under the section attracts imprisonment up to five years.
Efforts are on to arrest Sailu, the official added.