27 days after ruckus at Guru Dattatreya Shikhar, Police file case against 200 people

Junagadh: The police on friday filed a case against a crowd of 200 people for chanting slogans and causing chaos at the Guru Dattatreya Shikhar on Girnar here.

On Sunday, October 1, 2023, at Guru Dattatreya Shikhar on Girnar Mountain in Junagadh, a group of Digambara Jain Yatris from Madhya Pradesh caused a disturbance by chanting slogans of “Girnar Le Ke Rahenge.” These pilgrims not only chanted slogans but also threw their belongings, including a chair onto the foot paduka and idol of Guru Datt. This incident created an atmosphere of great tension.

In response to the incident, the priests at the Datta Shikhar immediately informed Kailashbhai Purohit, who was responsible for managing Guru Datta Shikhar. The matter was subsequently reported to the police. Kailashbhai filed a formal complaint at the Bhavnath police station regarding the incident. However, the police did not take immediate action. Meanwhile, all the Digambara Jain pilgrims were scheduled to return via the 11:15 pm train on that day.

Mahant Maheshgiriji, the guardian of Guru Shikhar, was informed about the incident. He called a meeting of the saints to discuss the matter, during which they emphasized the importance of registering a criminal case and taking legal action against such anti-social and mischievous elements.

Since no action was taken against the group of over 200 migrant Digambara Jain pilgrims who had caused the disturbance on Guru Dattatreya Shikhar on Girnar Mountain, Maheshgiriji, the Mahant of the Guru Shikhar, has called for a meeting of all Sanat saints and devotees on October 28, 2023, i.e. today at 4:30 pm at Bharti Ashram in Bhavnath. They are also preparing for a vigorous protest in this matter.

However, in the meantime, the police have taken action. On Friday night, they officially filed a case against the group of pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh who had incited chaos, as well as the individual from Maharashtra who had influenced them. The case has been registered against a crowd of 200 individuals, including 7 who have been specifically named in the case. The primary accused in this instance is Sudhir Sohanlal Bajan, a resident of Ahmednagar in the Kopergaon district of Maharashtra, and a member of the Sri Shakal Digambar Jain Sadharmi Pratishthan. Hitesh Dhandalia, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) in Junagadh, is overseeing this case. DeshGujarat