The Belagavi Rural Police have registered a criminal case against seven individuals, including Maharashtra-based Hindutva leader Harshita Thakur, following a provocative incident during a religious procession linked to the Akhanda Hindu Sammelana held near Machhe village in Belagavi taluk, Karnataka.
According to the report of Deccan Herald, the incident occurred on Sunday evening, January 18, when a procession preceding the Akhanda Hindu Sammelana was moving along the Belagavi–Khanapur Road towards Machhe. As the procession passed through Peeranwadi, near the Ansari Dargah (also referred to locally as the Peeranwadi Dargah), Harshita Thakur—who was standing atop a vehicle—was allegedly seen making repeated gestures mimicking the act of shooting an arrow towards the dargah. Supporters accompanying her were reportedly seen clapping and cheering during the act.
Videos of the incident soon surfaced on social media and went viral, prompting immediate police intervention. The Times of India report provided that according to eyewitness accounts and video footage, the vehicle on which Thakur was standing was allegedly halted deliberately near the dargah, after which the gesture was repeatedly made. Police personnel present at the scene intervened promptly and brought the situation under control to prevent any escalation of tensions.
A formal complaint was lodged by Abdul Khader Abdulrehman Mujawar, a resident of Ansari Galli, Peeranwadi, who stated that both the provocative gestures and the speeches delivered during the procession had the potential to incite communal unrest and disturb public harmony. According to Deccan Herald, he alleged that the actions were deliberately aimed at hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community.
Based on the complaint, the Belagavi Rural Police on Monday registered a case against seven persons, including Harshita Thakur and the event organisers, PTI reported. The FIR invokes provisions relating to hurting religious sentiments and promoting enmity between communities. Apart from Thakur, the accused include Belagavi residents Supreet Simpi, Shrikant Kambale, Bettappa Tarihal, Shivaji Shahapurkar, Gangaram Tarihal, and Mallappa, who were identified as organisers or key participants in the procession.
Police officials confirmed that the procession was taken out ahead of the Akhanda Hindu Sammelana held in Machhe village and that the alleged acts occurred while the procession was passing a religious स्थल of another community, thereby aggravating the seriousness of the incident.
The episode has drawn widespread attention after being flagged by civil society groups and watchdog platforms, including Hate Detectors, which shared video clips of the incident on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), highlighting concerns over hate gestures, inflammatory conduct, and the misuse of religious processions to provoke communal tensions.
A case has been registered against seven people, including #Maharashtra-based #Hindutva leader #HarshitaThakur, on charges of hurting the religious sentiments of another community during a procession held on Sunday in #Machhe village near #Belagavi, as part of the Akhanda Hindu… pic.twitter.com/vxtyaR0J47
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) January 19, 2026
Investigations are currently underway, and police authorities have stated that further action will be taken based on video evidence, witness statements, and the role of each accused in organising and participating in the procession.
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