'Mulshi Bandh': Locals Call For Taluka Shutdown After Desecration Of Goddess Annapurna Idol In Paud Village

Locals have called for a "bandh" in Pune district's Mulshi taluka on Monday in response to the desecration of an idol of Goddess Annapurna at Nageshwar Temple in Paud village.

A graphic of the announcement is being circulated on social media. It reads, "We condemn the desecration of the idol of Goddess Annapurna at Nageshwar Temple in Paud village. In response, the entire Hindu Samaj in Mulshi, will observe a shutdown on Monday (May 5)."

On Saturday, the residents of Paud took out a protest march, condemning the incident. They were heard chanting slogans like "Jai Shri Ram" and "Pakistan Murdabad" during the march.

According to the information received, the Paud Police have booked a father-son duo after the latter desecrated an idol of the village deity. The accused have been identified as Chand Shaikh (19) and Naushad Shaikh (45).

As per the police, CCTV footage from the temple showed the teenager desecrating the idol of Goddess Annapurna. "Regarding the matter, Shivaji Waghvale (a resident of Paud) filed a complaint at the Paud Police Station. He said in the CCTV footage it was seen that the accused, Chand Naushad Shaikh, came to the Nageshwar temple, took down the idol of the deity, and desecrated it. Locals then went to his home to talk to his father. However, the boy's father used threatening language and abused them," the police added.

After this, a mob beat up the father-son duo and brought them to the Paud Police Station. Some angry youths even pelted stones at a local mosque around 10pm on Friday.

Senior Police Inspector Santosh Girigosavi of Paud Police Station said, "The duo has been arrested, and the matter is under investigation. Accordingly, action will be taken. Police staff have been deployed to curb any situation from escalating in the area. However, the situation is under control."

Regarding the matter, a case has been registered under sections 196, 296(a), 298, 299, 302, 351(2), 352, and 3(5) at Paud Police Station.