Shani Shingnapur row: Bhumata Brigade plans to file contempt of court against CM Fadnavis

Chief minister’s office asks them to go-ahead, say they will present their side in court

4 min readPuneApr 4, 2016 09:54 AM IST

Shani Shingnapur, Devendra Fadnavis, Shani Shingnapur Fadnavis, Trupti Desai, Trupti Desai Shani temple, Shani Shingapur news, Maharashtra news

Trupti Desai, leader of the Bhumata Brigade, being dragged away by police during an attempt to offer prayers at the Shani Shingnapur temple, on Saturday. (Express Photo)

After being prevented from offering worship in the core shrine area of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district on Sunday, the Trupti Desai-led Bhumata Brigade has decided to file a contempt of court case in the Bombay High Court against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his government. The Chief Minister’s Office, however, stated, “Let them to go to court. The government will file its side in court.”

Desai, who along with four other members of the Bhumata Brigade suffered injuries in yesterday’s scuffle with hundreds of villagers, after returning to Pune on Sunday, said, “We are lucky to have survived. Hundreds of villagers charged at us menacingly. We would have died yesterday…”

We were attacked, said Desai, because the state government did not issue instructions to the local administration and the police to ensure the women gain access to the inner sanctum sanctorum. “Despite the Bombay High Court order, the chief minister and his government did nothing to ensure our safe access to the core shrine area.
The High Court had ruled that it was the ‘fundamental duty of the state to protect the fundamental right of the women to offer worship’,” she said.

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The Bhumata Brigade now plans to file a contempt of court case against the state government on Tuesday. “However, we hope that the court notices the newspaper reports and take suo motu cognizance of what happened at Shingnapur Saturday,” she said.

Praveen Pardeshi, principal secretary to the Chief Minister, said the district collector and police had been directed to ensure the implementation of the court order. “The government respects equality of men and women. The court order relates to ensuring access to the temple. The court had said that where men are allowed, women should also be allowed. So it is being followed,” he said.

Narrating their plight, Desai said when they entered the temple there were over 2,000 villagers who tried raised slogans against them, heckled them and tried to stop them from marching ahead. “The charged at us menancingly, several women scratched us, they pulled our hands, pushed us back forcefully. The police held me by the neck. We were dragged to the waiting police vehicle. Two of us were dragged by the hair by the villagers,” said Desai, adding that it was because of media presence in the area that they were alive today.

The atmosphere was so charged, said Desai, that they were lucky the survived it all. “The way the villagers were reacting we would have been lynched,” alleged Desai.

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Manisha Tilekar, a member of the Bhumata Brigade, said,”No effort was made by the police to stop the belligerent villagers from charging at us. Anything could have happened. It is now clear that the government had no intention to allow us to exercise our fundamental right to pray.”

Desai said they have filed complaint against the villagers with Supa police station.

The case has transferred to Shingnapur police.

API Prashant Mandale of Shingnapur police said they wil check the video-footage before taking any action in the matter.

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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