The Colvale police have registered a case against the owner of an art shop in Sirsai on charges of selling Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP), which is banned in the State.
The police took this action based on a complaint from Bardez Deputy Collector Varsha Parab.
On August 8, the Deputy Collector's office in collaboration with the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) inspected the art studio of suspected accused, Vasudev Chari, in Sirsaim. Random checks were conducted and samples were taken to check the material used in the Ganesh idols.
The report of this inspection confirmed the use of PoP in the Ganesh idols, according to a sample report conducted by the GSPCB.
Acting on the report, Bardez Deputy Collector Varsha Parab filed a police complaint on August 25.
Colvale police raided the art studio on the same day. However, all idols there had either been sold or removed and the police did not recover a single idol. Police later registered a case against Chari for displaying and selling PoP Ganesh idols.
The police are conducting further investigations under the guidance of Police Inspector Sanjit Kandolkar.
