Gelatin sticks planted inside a mosque in Maharashtra's Beed district triggered a blast in the early hours on Sunday ahead of Gudi Padwa and Ramzan Eid celebrations, leading to the arrest of two persons, police said.
Nobody was injured, but the internal portion of the structure suffered damage in the explosion that occurred at around 2.30 am in Ardha Masla village in Georai tehsil.
Amid tensions, villagers from Hindu and Muslim communities ensured that the situation did not escalate. They organised a peace committee meeting and decided to repair the damaged structure.
The accused duo, identified as Vijay Rama Gavhane (22) and Sriram Ashok Sagde (24), allegedly attempted to blow up the mosque following a scuffle between two groups during a ‘Sandal' procession on Saturday night, according to local people. Both individuals are residents of Georai taluka in Beed.
Preliminary investigations indicate that one of the accused entered the mosque from the rear and planted gelatin sticks, resulting in the blast, officials said.
The village head alerted the Talawada police at around 4 am, following which Beed Superintendent of Police Navneet Kanwat and senior officers rushed to the spot.
A bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) and a forensic science team were deployed to examine the scene.
“A case has been registered against the accused, and we will take stern action against them,” Kanwat said.
He also urged residents to refrain from spreading rumours and cooperate with authorities in maintaining law and order.
As per the preliminary information, a man entered the mosque from the backside and allegedly planted some gelatin sticks, leading to the blast, officials said.
Prima facie, the explosive material was buried inside the mosque and the blast was triggered through a wire.
Villagers said that the altercation during the ‘Sandal' procession may have been the motive behind the explosion.
The village has a history of communal harmony, with Hindus and Muslims traditionally celebrating festivals together. During Gudi Padwa, Hindus customarily visit the Hazrat Sayyad Badshah Dargah near the mosque.
The damaged portion was repaired with new tiles after villagers held a peace committee meeting in the morning, a villager said.
The Muslim community offered afternoon prayers in the mosque.
A video of an elderly villager appealing for peace is doing rounds of social media.
"The police have nabbed the accused in just three hours and have promised to nab the remaining culprits in two days. People should maintain peace," he appealed in the video.
Villagers hailed the swift police action and maintained communal harmony.
On March 17, several areas in Nagpur city, located over 500 km away from Beed, had witnessed violence and arson.
According to the police, one of the accused, Gavhane, had shot a reel earlier which showed him toying with a bundle of gelatin sticks and smoking a cigarette.
A police official said Gavhane is involved in digging wells. "He might have obtained the sticks from a licensed seller," he said.
In rural Maharashtra, gelatin sticks are typically used to carry out blasts in wells, quarries and mines.
The local crime branch is probing the incident.
© 2025