Four arrested, four minors detained over ‘desecration’ of Ganesha idol in Kutch

The villagers informed Kutch West police about the incident and officers detained three minors and four adults overnight. Later on Wednesday, another minor was also detained, Sagar Bagmar, in-charge superintendent of Kutch West police, told The Indian Express.

The four men who were detained were later arrested on various sections of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita (BNS), including those pertaining to insulting religious feelings.

“Primary investigation has revealed that three minors, who are around 11 to 12 years of age, desecrated the idol. Later, the accused hoisted a green-coloured flag on a nearby shrine,” the SP added.

Based on a complaint filed by Mahesh Goswami, the priest at the temple, an offence has been registered at Nakhatrana police station against eight persons, including the four minors.

They were booked under BNS’s sections 197(1)(b) (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult religion of any class), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy).

“The four adults have been arrested formally while the four minor boys have been detained. We will take action against the minors under the Juvenile Justice act and will produce them before a Juvenile Justice Board,” Bagmar further said.

The incident comes a few days after communal clashes broke out in Surat after a Ganesha pandal was allegedly vandalised.

The persons arrested in the Kutch case have been identified as Maulana Gulam Hussain Jafar, Asif Padhiyar, Sahil Mandhra and Hanif Mandhra, all residents of Kotda Jadodar. Jafar runs a madrasa and one of the minor boys detained for the offence is related to him,” AM Kakwana, police inspector in-charge of Nakhatrana police station said, adding, “The Ganesha idol was installed as part of the ongoing Ganesh Chaturthi festival.”

SP Bagmar said that the situation was under control in Kotda Jadodar. “No untoward incident has been reported since the vandalisation of the idol. As a precautionary measure, police have been deployed in the village,” he added.

The inspector said police were investigating the motive behind the alleged vandalisation. “We are investigating if this incident has any connection with a similar incident in Surat. However, the motive of the vandalism is still a matter of investigation,” said Makwana, adding, “Some of the accused are associated with an institute which provides religious education and we are ascertaining if any ultra hardline religious views are behind the incident.”