'Muslims not allowed' poster found at Pune's Sinhagad Fort, police begin investigation

A poster claiming that Muslims were not allowed to enter Pune's historic Sinhagad Fort was found at the entrance of the fort on Tuesday morning, prompting authorities to remove it immediately and launch an investigation, The Indian Express reported.

According to police, unidentified persons pasted the poster on an old metal board near the fort's entrance, close to the vehicle parking area. The forest department, which manages the fort and the surrounding forest land, removed the poster as soon as it came to its notice.

Officials were quoted saying that the poster, written in Marathi, stated that the fort "belongs to Hindus" and that "Muslims are not allowed to enter." It ended with the word 'hukumavaroon' (meaning "by order"), seemingly to create the impression that it was an official government directive.

A forest department officer said the poster was likely pasted during the early hours of Tuesday. "Someone appears to have come with a printed poster and pasted it on the old board in the wee hours. It was removed immediately after we were informed," the officer was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

The official added that the use of the words "by order" appeared to be an attempt to make people believe that the message had been issued by authorities.

Police said no formal complaint has been filed so far, but they have started an investigation on their own. Officers are examining CCTV footage from roads leading to the fort to identify those responsible for putting up the poster.

Sinhagad Fort, located near Pune, is one of Maharashtra's most popular historical sites. The medieval hill fort is closely associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the famous Battle of Sinhagad. It attracts thousands of visitors every year and is protected by the state forest department.