Two balloon-sellers and a shopkeeper have been booked in Maharashtra for selling balloons in Solapur with a ‘pro-Pakistan’ message written on it. While no arrests have been made so far, a probe by the police into the matter has led them to China Market in Mumbai, from where the balloons are said to have eventually found their way to Solapur.

The FIR was registered on June 29 against the two balloon sellers, Ajay Aman Pawar and Shivaji Pawar, and Tanveer Bagwan, from whom they allegedly bought the balloons, under IPC sections relating to promoting enmity between groups and acts intended to outrage religious feelings, The Indian Express reported.

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Vijapur Naka police station registered an FIR based on a complaint by policeman Naik Ganesh Shirke, who was on bandobast duty at Alamgir Eidgah in the town on Eid-ul-Adha last Thursday. According to Shirke’s statement, as people started leaving after namaz, some of them noticed the balloon from among a bunch and took the balloon seller to Shrike, IE reported.

As the crowd gathered around the seller, the balloon in contention burst. Shirke said that Aman’s packet of balloons had at least one balloon that was green in colour with the Pakistan flag on it and with “Happy Independence Day” written in Urdu.

The two balloon sellers told police that they were could not read what was written on the balloons. During questioning, Ajay Aman Pawar, 20, a resident of Pardhi Colony at Vijapur Road, said he and Shivaji bought balloons from Tanveer Bagwan, who owned the New Roshan Toy store in Solapur.

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Solapur Police Commissioner Rajendra Mane told The Indian Express, “No arrests have been made in the case. We have issued them notices.” The officer added that as part of the probe, they are trying to see where the balloons were sourced from.

“When our team went to the particular shop, the owner was unwell but his son told us that it was purchased from ‘China market’ in Mumbai. However, the market was shut when our officers reached there. Our officers will be going there again to find out where the balloons were sourced from,” the officer was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.