Three policemen have been suspended after processionists offered worship to Lord Ganesh’s statue in front of a mosque in Karnataka’s Koppal district, police said on Friday.

District SP Yashodha Vantagodi ordered the suspension of Inspector Adivesha Gadikoppa, PSI Kamanna and Head Constable Mariyappa Hosamani attached to Gangavathy City police station.

The order stated that the police officers were suspended for negligence in duty during immersion of Lord Ganesh’s idol on October 3.

The Hindu devotees, while taking out a procession of Lord Ganesh’s idol in the vehicle, stopped it, broke ash gourd and performed worship in front of the Jamia mosque in Koppal city.

The abovementioned officers failed to take precautionary measures in this regard and the incident had resulted in a tense situation, the police said.

The video of youths raising slogans and performing special worship in front of the mosque on September 30 had also gone viral on social media.

A case was lodged then against four police officers in this regard. Even after this, on October 3, similar incident was repeated and Muslim leaders strongly objected to the development following which the suspension orders were issued.  

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline.)