Stone Pelting During Vadodara’s Ganesh Yatra: Many Injured, 5 in Custody

Stone Pelting During Ganpati Immersion in Manjusar, Vadodara District

On Thursday night, during the Ganpati immersion procession in Manjusar village of Savli taluka in Vadodara district, there were reports of stone pelting incidents, leading to chaotic scenes. In response to these events, a team of district police officers, including the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP), rushed to the scene to investigate and control the situation. Video footage of individuals throwing stones live at the procession has emerged as part of the entire incident. In connection with these events, 18 FIRs have been registered against individuals, along with 30 more names identified. Currently, five people are in police custody.

Ganesh Visarjan:Stone Pelting in Manjusar

Regarding the stone pelting incidents that occurred during the Ganesh Visarjan procession in Manjusar, Vadodara DYSP B.H. Chavda stated that yesterday was the festival of Ganesh Visarjan, and the procession for the same had come out from Manjusar village in Savli. Ganesh idols were taken out in tractors. Suddenly, stones were thrown from the rooftops of nearby houses in Garasiya Maholla. Among them, three to four individuals were injured. In light of these events, the police have registered FIRs against 18 named and more than 20 unidentified individuals. Currently, the accused have fled their homes. The police are conducting searches and have deployed additional personnel to intensify the search operation.

Police Maintain a Vigilant Presence in Vadodara

In the aftermath of the stone pelting incidents during Ganesh Visarjan in Manjusar, Vadodara, the police have intensified their efforts to maintain law and order. Additional police personnel have been deployed, especially in the Gramya DYSP area, to carry out searches and investigations into the stone pelting incidents. No further incidents have occurred as a result of the police presence, and the situation in the entire village has since returned to peace. In this regard, Vadodara police have registered 18 FIRs against named individuals and have launched a search operation for 30 more unidentified individuals.

Approximately 600 People Were Present

Regarding the stone pelting incident during the Ganesh Visarjan procession in Manjusar, Girishbhai Chimanlal Panchal noted that he and around 100 people from his village, including Mukesh Solanki, Praful Solanki, and Sanjay Singh Vaghela, along with approximately 500 people from the Mahadev Faliya area, participated in the procession. Stones were thrown during the procession, and it was decided that if strict action was not taken, the Ganpati Visarjan would not proceed. The district police understood the situation and made efforts to control the situation at the incident site. Subsequently, the police conducted patrolling and combing operations to gain control over the situation.

Some Stone Pelters Reached the Spot

People collectively moved forward with Ganpati, chanting slogans. Around evening, when they reached Garasiya Maholla, stone pelting began. Among the stone pelters were Chiman Vaghela, Vasim Jayeshbhai Vaghela, Jasha Narasang Vaghela, Ranjit Lakhman, Yasin Vaghela, and Mahammad Vaghela. Stone pelting was carried out on our procession. These stone pelters were saying, “Don’t let these people live.” Following the stone pelting, the police immediately reached the scene. Stones were thrown from Lalaji Rayasang’s house. Each stone pelter began one by one from the roofs of their houses. We have identified the stone pelters who targeted us. To avoid any further escalation, the police have swiftly reached the incident site.

Accused Detained for Questioning

After the stone pelting incidents, the police established a strong presence in Manjusar. Efforts were made to apprehend the stone pelters and to bring them in for questioning. In the wake of the incident, the Gram Panchayat near the Garasiya Maholla had called for a meeting with the villagers, and a demand was made to take strict action against the stone pelters. If the situation had not been resolved firmly, it could have disrupted the Ganpati Visarjan. The police responded by taking control of the situation at the incident site, and a combing operation was launched. Currently, the entire village is peaceful, and further incidents have been averted. The police have acted swiftly, registering 18 FIRs and initiating a manhunt for over 30 unidentified individuals involved in stone pelting.