A man accused of taking part in the violence in the old city area of Maharashtra’s Nagpur Monday allegedly inappropriately touched an on-duty woman police officer, according to the First Information Report (FIR) that was filed at an area police station in connection with the violence.
The Nagpur violence accused, the FIR said, also made obscene gestures and misbehaved with some other women, including police personnel, during the incident which reportedly began around 4 pm on March 17 and continued until approximately 11.30 pm.
The FIR, number 0115, was registered on March 18 by Jitendra Baburao Gadge, Sub-Inspector, Ganeshpeth Police Station, who was on duty from 10 am to 9 pm Monday.
The police have arrested 51 people in connection with the Nagpur violence, and the same FIR lists 51 named accused and 500-600 unnamed individuals. The accused face multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932, the Public Property Damage Prevention Act, 1984, the Maharashtra Police Act 1951, and other relevant laws.
A local looks at a vandalised car, a day after violence broke out in Nagpur on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)
On Wednesday, the Judicial Magistrate First Class Court (JMFC) remanded 19 accused in the Nagpur violence case in police custody until March 21. The Nagpur police presented the accused before the court, seeking their remand for further investigation.
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal held demonstrations near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Gandhi Gate, shouting slogans to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb and burning an effigy of the Mughal emperor. After the incident, a group of 50-60 people, led by Fahim Khan Shamim Khan, city president of the Minorities Democratic Party (MDP), gathered at the police station to submit a written statement.
According to the FIR, the group that came to the police station allegedly gathered more people, and conspired to create religious conflict between two communities. The FIR also states that about 500 to 600 people from one community gathered at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue Chowk.
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It said despite attempts by Inspector Machhindra Pandit and other officers to disperse the crowd, the situation worsened as the mob stayed and armed itself with deadly weapons, including axes, stones, and sticks. Their actions were aimed at instilling fear and disrupting social harmony, allegedly to escalate religious tensions, said the FIR.
FIR copy also mentioned, police officers on duty, including Niketan Kadam, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shashikant Satav, Deputy Commissioner of Police, and Anita More, Assistant Commissioner of Police, were attacked and sustained injuries. The mob also vandalised and set police vehicles, traffic control booths, private vehicles, and nearby houses, on fire. Two cranes at a flyover construction site were also set ablaze.
The investigation into the case is being led by Venkatesh Hanmantu, Sub-Inspector.
Police personnel near the remains of a vehicle that was torched during violent clashes in Nagpur. (Photo: PTI)
Meanwhile, an indefinite curfew is in place in parts of Nagpur, and more than 50 people were detained after violence erupted over rumours of the desecration of a holy book amid demands to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb in Khuldabad.
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According to reports, a mob of around 200 people gathered at Nal Sahab Square in the Khadan area Tuesday evening. Following the violent clashes Monday, some individuals reviewed CCTV footage to identify the culprits themselves. When a suspect was spotted roaming in the area, citizens attempted to apprehend him, leading to unrest. However, the situation was soon brought under control.