SCB smells conspiracy as Ganesh idol appears'

Hyderabad: A vacant defence land adjacent the Bowenpally police station drew thousands of local devotees overnight after reports claimed a brass Ganesh idol had apparently appeared from nowhere.

Every year, the locals install a Ganesh pandal here but this year, while the idol was being placed onto a vehicle for immersion, a brass Ganesh idol was discovered.

However, even as devotees streamed in, officials from the Secunderabad Cantonment Board fenced the five-acre B4 Defence land, making the site inaccessible. The SCB chief said it was a trick by locals to encroach on the land. Mr Arun Kumar, a resident of Bowenpally, said: “For over 21 years the locals have been organising a Ganesh puja for 11 days at this vacant defence land. Every year, a temporary platform is made and dismantled after immersion. But on the night of September 14, while removing the main idol, we found a four-inch brass Ganesh idol. A priest was called who advised us to install the brass idol on the same platform and conduct puja as the Lord had descended. He advised us to turn it into a Ganesh temple. On Friday morning, when puja was being carried out, the SCB officials intervened.”

Locals protested while the SCB staff fenced the land. SCB CEO Sujatha Gupta said: “It is a five-acre B4 defence land adjacent to the police station; It is under the control of the Defence Estate Officer. We fenced the land to protect the property and we have not removed the idol. SCB has erected a ‘no accessibility” board at the site too. Any attempt to grab defence property will not be tolerated and all action will be taken to protect the land from encroachment.”