SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 30: Tension prevails in the area after the idol of Lord Hanuman and other deities were found damaged at Kubaritand village of Jamdiha Panchayat under Govindpur police station, around 10 km away from district headquarters on Friday morning.
Villagers found the idol of Hanuman and Shivling dismantled in the early morning. As the report spread, villagers of surrounding villages in large numbers assembled at the spot and began demanding the arrest of the culprits of the minority community.
Before the situation could take an ugly turn, Superintendent of Police (rural) Reeshma Ramesan, Deputy Superintendent of Police (law and order) Amar Kumar Pandey and Govindpur police station officer-in-charge Umesh Prasad Singh reached the spot and controlled the frenzied mob. They also took one suspected youth into custody.
Police officials said that the youth is being interrogated about the incident and the people involved in it. Meanwhile, personnel from two police stations have been deployed in the village to maintain peace.
Villagers also caught another suspected youth allegedly involved in the incident but police said only one youth has been taken into custody.
The irate villagers said that anti-social elements have intentionally damaged the idols during Navratri to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the area. They warned that the villagers would not return to their houses till the real culprits are arrested.
Notably, four days ago, a similar incident occurred in Ranchi’s Hindpiri. The accused of damaging Lord Hanuman’s idol has been arrested by Ranchi police.
