Nagpur Violence Updates: Situation ‘Peaceful’ Amid Heavy Police Presence, Says District Collector

Nagpur Violence Updates: Nagpur Police on Tuesday reported the arrest of 50 people for the violence that occurred on the night of March 17. A further probe into the incident, including review of CCTV footage and social media posts, is being conducted to identify more suspects involved in the unrest, which added to the fire that was triggered by rumors of burning of a holy book during a protest by a right-wing group demanding removal of Aurangzeb's tomb.

City Commissioner of Police Ravinder Kumar Singal confirmed that normalcy had returned in the region. "The situation is peaceful now, we have imposed a curfew under the area of around 11 police stations. The situation is under control," he told ANI.

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He further stated, "We have taken more than 50 people into custody. Other than that, if people are being seen in CCTV's and in social media posts of doing such acts of violence of damaging property and disturbing peace, then we are identifying them and catching them."

The Commissioner further stated that the instruction of police in restraint was unfounded and emphasized a visible presence of officers as violence began, which went on to injure 33 policemen.

Meanwhile, the curfew was imposed in various parts of Nagpur under Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in view of the escalating tension. The curfew ubis within the police jurisdictions of Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shantingar, Sakkardhara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodharanagar, and Kapilnagar area.

According to PTI reports, it was around 7:30 pm on Monday when the police started receiving information regarding stone pelting in Chitnis Park Mahal areas. This incident resulted in a suffering of six civilians and three officials.

Tensions then spiraled to Kotwali and Ganeshpeth after which it grew seriously worse by nightfall. About 1000 people then took part in stone pelting, destruction of property, and arson in which many vehicles and homes were badly damaged.

According to the Nagpur Police Commissioner as quoted by news agency ANI, the violence reached its peak with respect to time between 8-8.30 pm, and security forces were required to intervene.

The riots have also occurred in the Hansapuri area of Nagpur, where unknown people ransacked shops, set up vehicles on fire and assaulted each other as a result of an earlier encounter in Mahal that spoiled the mood. Another new clash occurred on Old Bhandara Road sometime between 10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m. when a band of hoodlums set fire to various vehicles and demolished houses and a clinic.

Maharashtra's chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had struck the call for peace and calm at the time of the turmoil, on Tuesday declared that the violence "looks like a well-planned attack".

"In Nagpur, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal held protests. Rumours were spread that things containing religious content were burnt...It looks like a well-planned attack. No one has permission to take law and order into their hands," Fadnavis said in the state assembly.

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Latest developments

• Nagpur Police said yesterday that they had made more than 50 arrests in connection with violence that occurred on the night of March 17. Now commissioner of the city, in the person of Ravinder Kumar Singal, said that the situation in the area is again peaceful.
• Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Singal said that provisions of Section 163 of the Indian Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita have been enacted, enabling an immediate preventive order by magistrates in immediate urgent cases to obviate any obstruction, threat to human life, public unrest, or riots. Such orders can be to individuals, part of the area, or for the general public.
• The police also urge the citizens to calm and cooperate while registering an FIR and reviewing the CCTV footage and video clips to identify those involved.
• Ravinder Singal has assured the residents that the conditions are under control and peaceful. Section 144 has been imposed, and the people are going to be advised not to go out unnecessarily.
• Maharashtra Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan has termed the violence in Mahaals area of Nagpur as "very unfortunate," asking the people to maintain peace. Accused outsiders, he added, were not the locals, as they flocked to create disturbances in the city of harmony.
• Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal condemned the home department of the state and called the violence a complete failure of the administration. He alleged that the ministers have been "deliberately making provocative speeches" in the days leading up to the unrest.

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