5 teams formed to probe religious book burning in Belagavi
The unrest began on Monday when worshippers at a mosque in Santi Bastawad discovered that several prayer books, including copies of the Quran, were missing from a shelf
Belagavi police commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang constituted five special teams on Tuesday to investigate the alleged desecration of a religious book in Santi Bastawad village, as tensions continue to simmer in parts of Belagavi district.
Martin said that a case has been registered in the matter and senior officers are monitoring the probe and teams have been formed to identify and nab the culprits. “We have some clues and will investigate the matter further,” he said.
The unrest began on Monday when worshippers at a mosque in Santi Bastawad, located around 10 km from Belagavi city, discovered that several prayer books, including copies of the Quran, were missing from a shelf. A search led to the discovery of half-burnt religious texts in an agricultural field near the place of worship, triggering anger and protests across the area.
“Several people from various prayer houses in Belagavi taluk held protests in their respective places,” said Martin, adding that tensions rose after elders from the mosque found the burnt pages of the Quran.
“The CCTV camera installed on the building was removed coincidentally on the day of the incident for some repair work. An investigation into the incident is underway, and we will nab the culprits,” he added.
Protesters from Santi Bastawad, Peeranwadi, Machche and neighbouring villages attempted to march into Belagavi city to submit a memorandum to the district administration on Tuesday.
However, police intercepted them en route and allowed them to hold a demonstration along the Belagavi-Goa highway near Visvesvarayya Technological University (VTU), leading to traffic disruptions for over two hours.
Amid the unrest, Martin and deputy commissioner of police Rohan Jagadeesh met the demonstrators and assured them that those responsible would face legal consequences.
The police commissioner appealed to community leaders and elders to maintain peace and assist in identifying the culprits. “Avoid actions that could disturb public order,” he said.
Congress assembly member Asif (Raju) Sait, who joined the protest and submitted a memorandum to the police, accused the administration of failing to take strong action in similar past incidents.
“I have told the police commissioner that the negligence and dereliction of duty of some police officers was provoking some anti-social elements to engage in such offences. I have asked for a transfer of all erring officials,” he said.
The MLA urged villagers to remain calm and not let such acts undermine the communal harmony of the region.
PWD minister Satish Jarkiholi, who was in Belagavi on Tuesday to review development projects, also took note of the situation. He instructed police officials to conduct a scientific investigation and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
With inputs from PTI
