Shiv Sainik held for defiling Shivaji idol

They stated that the idol had been erected unauthorisedly and that Bharat was interested in the land on which the idol had been installed. They said that Bharat had confessed to his crime and two of his accomplices had absconded after the incident.

Bharat, aged 40, is an employee of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board and the chief of the Sinnar unit of the Vidhyut Kamgar Sena (a trade union affiliated to the Sena) in the past. He had been arrested on several occasions in the past for participating in agitations organised by the Sena.

He stays in Sinnar with his wife, two daughers and one son. Police had arrested Bharat alongwith 19 others on October 16. They stated that the delay in declaring the name of the accused in the idol desecration case was because they wanted to be sure of Bharat’s involvement as he was a Shiv Sainik.

They claimed that they had enough evidence against him to prosecute him for the crime. Bharat has been booked under sections 295 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code. The Shivaji idol had been erected in Sambhaji Chowk, Kurne Galli in the Sinnar town by the Shiv Sena Shakha no. 11.

The bust of Shivaji was moulded in plaster of Paris. After the idol was found beheaded on October 16, Shiv Sainiks went on a rampage damaging vehicles and shops. About 150 vehicles, including 26 buses were damaged by the rioteers. One bus was also set on fire.

A police officer from the Sinnar police station, assistant police inspector Sharad Ugale, had donated a Shivaji idol (kept in his house) for installation at the site.

The broze bust of Shivaji was placed at the same spot and the gesture of Ugale had pacified the Sainiks, but they wanted the police to book the culprit behind the desecration of the idol. The police had merely said that they had clues but had not named any person. The police finally broke their silence, naming Bharat as the prime accused.

Bhujbal blamed
NASHIK: Two days ago, deputy leader of the Sena, Arvind Sawant (who is also a member of the State legislative council) visited Sinnar and demanded the arrest of those responsible for the desecration.

Apparently suspecting that the police would name a Shiv Sainik, Sawant had, without naming deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, said that the investigation of the case was being done under pressure from a minister.

The arrest of Bharat has led to a strong reaction from the Sena. District unit chief Vinayak Pande said that it was a conspiracy by Bhujbal to malign the image of the Sena. He said that no Shiv Sainik would ever think of desecrating an idol of Shivaji, who was the main inspiration for the party.