Kolhapur: Navratri mandal president held after revolver goes off during scuffle in pandal
Vijaykumar Patil was arrested after a round was fired from his revolver in a Shahunagar pandal during a row over aarti invitations; no one was hurt.
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A shocking incident took place during Navratri celebrations in Kolhapur's Shahunagar area. In a quarrel that began over aarti invitations and the matter of honours, the president of the Navratri mandal drew a revolver inside the pandal. A round was fired from the revolver during a scuffle. The bullet went towards the ground, so no one was injured. Rajarampuri police have arrested mandal president Vijaykumar Shankarrao Patil and seized the revolver.
The Navratri festival is celebrated every year in Datta Galli, Shahunagar, by the Rajarshi Shahu Friend Circle. Vijaykumar Patil is the mandal's president. During the festival, the mandal's workers and their families are specially invited for the evening aarti. This year, the families of some workers, including Sudhir Khebude, were not invited, and this set off a dispute within the mandal.
On Tuesday night, some mandal workers had gathered to settle the dispute. Sudhir Khebude asked Siddhesh Thorwat why his family had not been invited for the aarti, and the two got into an argument. When news of the quarrel reached president Vijaykumar Patil, the atmosphere became more tense. Meanwhile, Khebude and some workers were standing to one side. Patil mistakenly thought they were talking about him and became angry.
In his anger, Patil took out the revolver. Some workers rushed forward to stop him. In the scuffle, a round went off from the revolver in his hand. The bullet travelled towards the ground and, fortunately, hit no one. Even so, the loud sound of the shot caused a stampede in the pandal and its surroundings. Firing inside the pandal in the middle of the festival created a sensation across the area.
After the incident, at around two in the middle of the night, some office-bearers of the mandal tried to settle the dispute among themselves. However, Rajarampuri police reached the spot immediately on learning of the incident. Police examined the matter and registered a case. The action was taken on the complaint of Sudhir Dattatray Khebude, 36, a resident of Shahunagar.
Rajarampuri police have arrested Vijaykumar Shankarrao Patil, 59, a resident of Pratibhanagar, currently staying in the New Palace area, in the case. The revolver in his possession has also been seized. Further investigation is under way.
