PONDA: Two brothers were arrested for reportedly removing the idol from the inner sanctorum of Mallkarjun Temple at Tamsule in Khandola, on Tuesday.
According to sources, Gurudas Gawde and his brother Gokuldas reportedly had a dispute with some villagers over the right to perform rituals during the Dussehera and Tarang festivals. Following the dispute, the duo reportedly obstructed the villagers from performing rituals and later removed the idol from the inner sanctorum.
The duo also reportedly attacked four villagers, who went to perform religious rituals at the temple, with stones and a sword thereby injuring them. The injured were Vidhesh Sukhtankar, Pratap Haldankar, Surya Zalmi and Padmanab Khandolkar. Following the arrest of the duo, the attack weapons — stones and a sword – have reportedly been recovered.
The accused brothers also damaged the Taranga festival decorations.
The attack on four villagers and the removal of the idol, reportedly, hurt the religious feelings of the locals and caused outrage among them. The incident also reportedly sparked tension in the locality; the news of which quickly reached the Ponda police inspector and the deputy collector who rushed to the spot with large police force and contained the situation.
It is learnt that the Mallikarjun temple is affiliated to the Shantadurga temple at Khandola.
Shantadurga temple President Sidhesh Sukhtankar informed that the temple committee has complained to the police against the Gavde brothers for obstructing rituals, removing the idol and attacking four villagers.
Later, the villagers took into their possession the idol, which the accused were carrying with them.
Following the unsavory incident, the Dussehera celebration at the Mallikarjun temple has been cancelled. And as per Sukhtankar, to celebrate Dussehera, the idol has to be reinstalled which would take time.
