Beed: Statue Desecration Sparks Tension In Parli Vaijnath's Pohner, Case Filed

Beed: Tension gripped Pohner in Parli Vaijnath tehsil after an individual allegedly desecrated the statue of a revered historical figure near its premises at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk on Sunday around 10pm. The incident sparked widespread outrage, prompting locals and followers to stage a sit-in protest at the Sirsala police station on Monday, demanding strict action against the accused.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by complainant Mohan Ramesh Kale, the incident occurred around 10pm on Sunday (August 30). Kale and his friends were sitting near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk when the accused, identified as Shoaib Saudagar, arrived in a tipper truck. Saudagar parked the vehicle along Sirsala Road, allegedly urinated against the rear boundary wall of the statue and fled the spot.

As news of the incident spread, several locals and followers gathered at the Sirsala police station on Monday morning and staged a protest, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused. Heated verbal exchanges were also reported between protesters and police personnel over an alleged delay in registering the complaint.

Following Kale’s formal complaint on August 31, Sirsala police registered an FIR against the accused around 4pm under Section 298 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Police Sub-Inspector Sanjaykumar Rathod is investigating the case.

The situation in Pohner remains tense, with heavy security deployment to prevent any untoward incident.

During the protest at the Sirsala police station, another dispute broke out between the police and agitators. Protesters alleged that police officials initially claimed the statue installed at Pohner was unauthorised and warned that if a formal complaint was pursued, action would also be initiated against those who installed the statue.

The allegation led to sharp verbal exchanges between the protesters and police before the FIR was eventually registered against the accused.