Gelatin Sticks Trigger Blast In Mosque In Maharashtra's Beed, None Hurt

A blast occurred in a mosque in Maharashtra's Beed district due to gelatin sticks kept inside.

Gelatin sticks kept inside a mosque in Maharashtra's Beed triggered blast while no one was hurt. (Representational Image)

Source : ABPLIVE AI

A blast took place in a mosque in Maharashtra's Beed district early on Sunday due to gelatin sticks kept allegedly by a man inside the religious structure, said the police. 

No one was hurt in the explosion that occured at around 2:30 am at Ardha Masla village in Georai tehsil, they said, adding the blast damaged the internal portion of the structure, reported PTI.

Two accused indentified as Vijay Rama Gavhane (22) and Sriram Ashok Sagde (24), have been arrested by the police in connection with the matter. Both are residents of Georai taluka in Beed, an official said.

The incident sparked tension in the village and heavy security was deployed in the area to prevent law and order-related issues, said an official. 

As per officials, a man entered the mosque from the back and allegedly kept some gelatin sticks there, which triggered a blast. The village head alerted the Talwada police at around 4 am. 

Police Take Action 

The blast had damaged that internal portion of the mosque, an official said. On receiving the information, 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 rushed to the spot, the official said. Two persons have been arrested by the Beed police in connection with the blast inside the mosque, Kanwat said. 

A case has been booked against the accsued, Kanwat said, adding stern action will be taken against them as per the law. The SP also urged people not to spread rumours and help the police maintain law and order. 

Scuffle Between Two Groups

According to locals, there was a scuffle between two groups on Saturday night during a 'Sandal' procession at the village. The locality has a tradition of celebrating festivals together, they said. 

On the festival of Gudi Padwa, Hindus visit Hazrat Sayyad Badshah Dargah near the mosque, a villager said. As a joint celebration for Gudi Padwa and Eid-ul-Fitr was scheduled on Sunday morning, the accused persons tried to blow up the mosque using gelatin sticks, he said.

While a portion of the mosque was damaged, the locals have lived in harmony for decades and have decided to repair the structure, the villager said.

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