21 booked after police, Ganesh mandal clash during immersion procession in Pombhurna

An unpleasant incident took place during Ganesh immersion in Pombhurna town at about 9 pm on September 28. A dispute broke out between police and workers of the Vighnaharta Ganesh Mandal in the immersion procession, and tension prevailed for some time.

Both Ganesh immersions in the town had been scheduled for Monday. At Shivaji Chowk, police asked members of the Vighnaharta Ganesh Mandal to hurry and move ahead. This led to an argument between the members and the police. When the argument turned into a scuffle, police resorted to a mild lathi-charge to bring the situation under control.

The action angered the mandal's workers and devotees. They staged a sit-in for some time at Savitribai Phule Chowk in the town. Mandal members forcefully demanded action against the policemen who wielded the lathis. They said they would not leave Savitribai Phule Chowk until they received a written assurance of such action.

Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the administration deployed heavy police bandobast in Pombhurna town and a riot control squad. An Additional Superintendent of Police reached the spot and took charge. After the commotion that continued till late at night, the mandal's president and members immersed the idol under police protection.

Cases were registered late at night against 21 people for the dispute. Of them, 14 have been taken into custody, while seven are absconding. They have been booked under Sections 136 and 38 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951, Section 85(1) of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949, and Sections 126(2), 189(2), 189(3), 223, 49 and 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. On Tuesday, the 14 were produced in a court at Mul.

Assistant Police Inspector Rahul Thengne is investigating the incident further.