Gelatin sticks trigger blast at mosque in Beed, no casualty; 2 held

Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) Gelatin sticks kept allegedly by a man at a mosque triggered a blast in the religious structure in Maharashtra’s Beed district early on Sunday, police said.

No person was injured in the explosion that occurred at around 2.30 am at Ardha Masla village in Georai tehsil, they said, adding the blast damaged the internal portion of the structure.

The police have arrested Vijay Rama Gavhane (22) and Sriram Ashok Sagde (24), both residents of Georai taluka in Beed, an official said.

The incident led to tension in the village.

An official said heavy security was deployed in the village to prevent law and order-related issues.

A man entered the mosque from the back and allegedly kept some gelatin sticks there, which triggered a blast, as per officials.

The village head alerted the Talawada police at around 4 am.

The internal portion of the mosque was damaged in the blast, an official said.

Beed Superintendent of Police Navneet Kanwat and other senior officials rushed to the spot.

A bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS), along with a forensic science team, also reached the spot, the official said.

The Beed Police have apprehended two persons in connection with the blast inside the mosque, Kanwat said.

He said a case has been registered against the accused, and stern action will be taken against them as per the law.

Kanwat also appealed to people not to spread rumours and help the police maintain law and order.

According to locals, there was a scuffle between two groups on Saturday night during a ‘Sandal’ procession at the village.

The village has a tradition of celebrating festivals together, they said.

During the Gudi Padwa festival, Hindus visit Hazrat Sayyad Badshah Dargah near the mosque, a villager said.

As the joint celebration for Gudi Padwa and Ramzan Eid was scheduled on Sunday morning, the accused persons tried to blow up the mosque using gelatin sticks, he said.

A portion inside the mosque was damaged in the blast, but locals who have lived in harmony for decades decided to repair the structure, the villager said.

The damaged portion was repaired with new tiles, another villager said, adding that a peace committee meeting also took place in the village in the morning.