Belagavi district of Karnataka witnessed tense scenes after three copies of the Quran and Hadith were found burnt in a field on Monday, May 12.
The incident reportedly took place in Santi Bastawad village on May 11. According to police, unknown people entered an under-construction mosque and took away three copies of the Quran and Hadith, kept for offering prayers.
The following day, when devotees gathered to offer namaz, they found the religious books missing. The copies were later found burned in a field nearby.
Enraged, a large number of Muslims staged a protest in front of the police station, demanding the immediate arrest of the mischievous individuals.
Later, a march was conducted from Santi Bastawad to Rani Chennamma Circle, where protestors shouted, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai,’ and blocked roads, creating a traffic jam.
Sensing communal tensions, police immediately rushed to the spot and held a peace meeting with senior leaders of the Muslim community and assured that the culprits would be arrested soon in two days.
“The CCTV camera installed on the building was removed coincidentally on the day of the incident for some repair work. An investigation into the incident is underway, and we will nab the culprits,” Belagavi police commissioner Iada Martin said.
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