Belagavi – Tensions flared in Santibastwad village of Belagavi taluk after unidentified miscreants stole copies of the Holy Quran and two Hadith books from the ground floor of an under-construction mosque and set them ablaze in a nearby field. The shocking incident triggered widespread outrage, prompting thousands of Muslims to gather at Rani Chennamma Circle on Monday evening to stage a strong protest and demand the immediate arrest of those responsible.
Speaking to SahilOnline over the phone, Vice President of Jumma Masjid Santibastwad, Mr. Ramzan Chaudhary, explained that due to ongoing construction work, a temporary prayer area had been arranged nearby where the religious books were kept. Late on Sunday night, the culprits broke into the room, stole the books, and set them on fire in a field approximately 300 meters away. When worshippers discovered the books missing during Monday morning prayers, they began searching the area and found the charred remains in the field — sparking a wave of fear and anger throughout the village.
In response, hundreds of youths, religious scholars, and social and political leaders from Belagavi city and Santibastwad gathered at Rani Chennamma Circle. They staged a protest march to the DC’s office, raising slogans and expressing their deep frustration. Protesters alleged that this was not the first attempt to disturb communal harmony in the area, but that a lack of action against previous offenders had emboldened such acts.
Belagavi MLA Asif Seth, who addressed the protestors, gave the police a three-day deadline to arrest the culprits and warned that if no action was taken, the next protest would be staged outside the Police Commissioner’s office.
Upon receiving news of the incident, Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang and Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohan Jagadish visited both the mosque and the site where the books were burned. They assessed the situation and assured the protesters that arrests would be made within three days.
A local resident mentioned that although the mosque had CCTV cameras installed, they had been sent for repairs on Sunday — an opportunity the miscreants may have exploited. Police suspect that the perpetrators were locals familiar with the security lapse and that they used the cover of darkness to commit the act.
A case has been registered at the Belagavi Rural Police Station, and security has been heightened in the area.