Tyre burnt inside heritage mosque; FIR filed, ASI probes

Police registered A First Information Report FIR against unknown persons on Tuesday after a tyre was burnt inside the premises of Jama Masjid, one of the 114 monuments listed by the Baroda Heritage Trust, in Champaner, India.

Police registered A First Information Report FIR against unknown persons on Tuesday after a tyre was burnt inside the premises of Jama Masjid, one of the 114 monuments listed by the Baroda Heritage Trust, in Champaner, India.

The mosque is a part of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The case was registered after the representatives of Muslim community in Godhra submitted a memorandum to Panchmahal district collector and superintendent of police demanding strict action against those involved in the incident.

Conservation Assistant, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Vadodara Circle, Rajesh Johri said that there “visible damage” to the monument. “We have inspected the entire area, but such activities are unacceptable. We have filed an FIR and also asked the security agency to initiate an inquiry into the matter since this was a breach of security despite a security personnel being on duty,” Johri said.