12 booked for demolishing temple compound wall in Dindoli

Surat: Dindoli police in Surat registered a case against 12 persons, including five women, for allegedly trespassing into the premises of Sahajanand Mahadev Charitable Trust and demolishing its compound wall in an attempt to grab the land. The accused allegedly placed a Buddha idol near the proposed temple site as part of their bid to claim the plot.According to the complaint filed by Hitesh Vishwakarma (40), the administrator of the trust, two open plots were allotted to the trust by the society's landowner, Jayesh Patel, for the construction of a temple and a gaushala. Patel had also granted power of attorney to Vishwakarma to manage the trust land and oversee temple activities. Construction work for the temple has been underway since 2023.Vishwakarma alleged that one of the accused, society member Anil Sonawane, along with his associates, installed a Buddha idol near the temple site without permission. Suspecting an attempt to encroach upon the land, Vishwakarma said he approached the collector's office in Oct 2025 seeking intervention. He also asked Sonawane to remove the idol, but the latter allegedly refused. Subsequently, Vishwakarma removed the idol and placed it at his residence.On the morning of Feb 14, Vishwakarma learned that a group had entered the temple premises after demolishing the compound wall. When he reached the spot, he found Anil Sonawane, his brother Dhiraj, and their mother Sunanda inside the compound along with several relatives and associates. The accused were allegedly armed with hammers and spades.Police were alerted, following which all 12 persons were booked under charges of criminal trespass, unlawful assembly, and damage to property.