Daijiworld Media Network - Jalgaon

Jalgaon, Feb 26: Police have registered a case against five unidentified persons for allegedly endangering a protected monument in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district by lighting torches and using flammable substances while filming reels inside the premises, officials said on Thursday.

The action follows videos that surfaced on social media in late December, purportedly showing a group of five to six individuals shooting content inside the historic Maheshwar Temple at Patnadevi. The site is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act and falls under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The clips show a woman performing a ritual near a ‘Shivling’, while others with covered faces are seen ringing temple bells. A behind-the-scenes video allegedly captures members of the group tying cloth to pipes, pouring flammable liquid and lighting four to five torches (mashals) within the temple premises, including the sanctum sanctorum.

An ASI official stated that during a subsequent inspection, black soot marks and burn damage were found on the temple floor and pillars, indicating potential harm caused by smoke and flames.

Based on a complaint filed by an ASI employee, the Chalisgaon rural police registered an FIR on February 17 against five unidentified individuals who allegedly used multiple Instagram accounts to upload the videos. Charges include damaging and misusing a protected monument.

“We have written to the social media platform seeking details of the profiles involved,” a police official told.

The temple forms part of the protected Patnadevi and Maheshwar temple complex, renowned for its Hemadpanthi style of architecture, characterised by star-shaped ground plans, intricate stone carvings and dry masonry construction using interlocking black basalt stone slabs. Authorities are continuing investigations to identify those responsible.