Hanuman murti seized during the British Raj still lies in Pune police custody

• The murti continues to be officially recorded as ‘case property’ (seized material).

• It was before this very murti that the Chapekar brothers paid obeisance and took a solemn oath to fight for India’s freedom

The idol of Shri Hanuman , before which the Chapekar brothers pledged themselves to the cause of India’s independence, remains at the Faraskhana Police Station .

Pune: The idol of Shri Hanuman , before which the Chapekar brothers pledged themselves to the cause of India’s independence, remains at the Faraskhana Police Station as “case property.” Devout Hindus and historians have called for its installation in a temple.

When asked by a correspondent, the police replied, “the idol is officially registered as a seized object and cannot be handed over without a court order.” Among thousands of Hanuman devotees in Pune, not a single devotee came forward to demand its release. As it is kept within a police station, access for the public is limited, and only police personnel perform the puja.

Historian Pandurang Balkawade notes that during the Peshwa era, the Faraskhana  functioned as a storage facility for clothing. The British later converted it into a police station. After the assassination of Walter Charles Rand, the Chapekar brothers were imprisoned there, and historical records suggest that the idol came into police custody around that time.

Even after independence, the idol remained in the police property room for years. Over time, a devout police officer began worshipping it, and a small shrine was eventually set up within the premises. After that, to this day, police personnel worship the idol every Saturday.

Historical Note

Before assassinating Walter Charles Rand, the Chapekar brothers are believed to have taken an oath before this very idol. They used to practice aiming in front of this idol. Following the assassination, enraged British authorities not only arrested them but also seized the idol as ‘evidence,’ placing it in police custody, where it remains to this day.

Editorial Perspective

• Instead of preserving a sacred symbol revered by revolutionaries, treating it as mere ‘seized property’, is deeply upsetting. Why is it not released through legal process and installed in a grand temple with devotion for public viewing ?
• More than 78 years after independence, successive governments have not taken concrete steps toward its release. Would the governments show such indifference towards the sacred symbols of other religions ?
• Hindus should now raise collective voice for the release of this murti.