A blast inside a mosque in Maharashtra’s Beed district in the early hours of Sunday has sparked tension in the village, with AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleging that the accused were confident of being treated as “heroes.”
In a post on X, Owaisi stated, “In Beed Maharashtra, on 29th March, 2:30 AM a masjid was targeted in a blast by Vijay Gavhane and Shriram Sagde. Vijay had even posted a video of himself with gelatine sticks. It’s clear that he’s confident of being treated as a hero. The masjid suffered grave damage and the attack has shaken the Muslims of the village. Our AIMIM team consisting of Shafique Bhau and Adv Khizer Patel reached the spot and helped in getting an FIR registered.”
In Beed Maharashtra, on 29th March, 2:30 AM a masjid was targeted in a blast by Vijay Gavhane and Shriram Sagde. Vijay had even posted a video of himself with gelatine sticks. It’s clear that he’s confident of being treated as a hero. The masjid suffered grave damage and the…
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) March 30, 2025
According to the police, gelatin sticks allegedly kept by a man inside the mosque triggered the explosion around 2:30 am at Ardha Masla village in Georai tehsil. While no injuries were reported, the blast damaged the internal portion of the structure.
Beed Superintendent of Police (SP) Navneet Kanwat confirmed the arrests of Vijay Rama Gavhane (22) and Sriram Ashok Sagde (24), both residents of Ardha Masla village. He stated that a case has been registered against the accused and assured that “stern action will be taken against them as per the law.” He also appealed to the public not to spread rumours and to cooperate with the police in maintaining law and order.
#WATCH | Beed, Maharashtra: On the explosion at a mosque in Beed, SP Navneet Kanwat says, “Around 4 am, the village sarpanch informed the police about the incident. All our senior officers, BDDS team reached the spot. We got information that an accused had gone to the mosque and… https://t.co/imNQPbcuWx pic.twitter.com/u60HjGxYCR
— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2025
According to news agency PTI, an official revealed that one of the arrested accused had earlier filmed a reel with explosives and a cigarette in his hand before placing the gelatin sticks inside the mosque. Gavhane, who works in well digging, might have sourced the sticks from a licensed seller. In rural Maharashtra, gelatin sticks are commonly used for controlled blasts in wells, quarries, and mines.
The incident has led to heightened security in the village, with police deploying forces to prevent any law-and-order issues. Officials said the accused entered the mosque from the back before placing the explosives. The village head alerted the Talawada police around 4 am.
SP Kanwat, along with senior officials, rushed to the site, accompanied by a bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) and a forensic science team. The local crime branch is investigating the case.
Beed Mosque Targeted Amid Joint Celebration Of Gudi Padwa And Eid, Local Says
According to locals, a scuffle had broken out between two groups on Saturday night during a ‘Sandal’ procession in the village. The village has a long-standing tradition of celebrating festivals together, with Hindus visiting the Hazrat Sayyad Badshah Dargah near the mosque during Gudi Padwa. A villager claimed that as a joint celebration of Gudi Padwa and Ramzan Eid was scheduled for Sunday morning, the accused attempted to target the mosque using gelatin sticks.
Despite the attack, the local community has come together to restore the mosque. “A portion inside the mosque was damaged in the blast, but locals who have lived in harmony for decades decided to repair the structure,” said a resident, as per PTI. Another villager added that the damaged portion had already been repaired with new tiles, and a peace committee meeting was convened in the morning.
Members of the Muslim community performed their afternoon prayers at the mosque, reaffirming their commitment to peace. A video of an elderly villager urging calm has circulated on social media, in which he appeals for people to maintain harmony.
The police have arrested the accused within three hours of the incident and have assured that any remaining culprits will be apprehended within two days.
