A woman police constable was allegedly molested and her uniform was pulled by a group of rioters during the communal violence that broke out in Nagpur on Monday evening, following protests linked to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb. Her complaint is detailed in a first information report (FIR) registered at the Ganeshpeth police station.
With peace returning to the city, the curfew situation will be reviewed on Thursday to decide whether any relaxations can be granted. So far, curfew has been imposed in a third of the city’s police station areas, with people only allowed to step out for basic necessities.
Cyber crime FIRs
The police registered two more FIRs in the Sadar and Yashodharanagar police stations on Wednesday — pertaining to an unauthorised bike rally and a scuffle between two groups, respectively — in addition to the five FIRs already registered on Tuesday. Police are preparing to file more FIRs regarding the circulation of unverified clips and social media content. “We are in the process of registering a few more FIRs for cyber-related crimes.
So far, 84 people have been taken into custody, including seven minors, and 29 of them were produced in court on Wednesday and remanded to police custody till March 21. Minority Democratic Party (MDP) leader Fahim Khan is among those who have been arrested, after he was reportedly seen “actively trying to provoke people” in two areas.
Women cops harassed
According to FIR, a mob of people shouting provocative slogans and hurling stones targeted the woman constable, who was part of the Rapid Control Police (RCP) squad deployed to contain the violence. Taking advantage of the chaos and darkness, the rioters allegedly tried to disrobe her and touched her inappropriately, before she managed to alert senior officers.
The complainant, a police officer, further states in the FIR that other women police personnel were subjected to similar harassment and intimidation by the rioters. “Amid the stone-pelting and tension, the rioters tried to disrobe a woman constable and used vulgar language. They also passed lewd remarks and made obscene gestures towards other women police personnel on duty,” another officer said.
This FIR names 51 accused under 57 sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Maharashtra Police Act, the Arms Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Criminal Law Amendment Act and other relevant acts. A case has also been registered against 500 to 600 unidentified persons. On Wednesday, the Judicial Magistrate First Class court remanded 19 of these accused to police custody until March 21 for further investigation.
Alleged instigator arrested
The police arrested the MDP leader, Mr. Khan, for allegedly leading an unlawful gathering outside the Ganeshpeth police station on Monday following rumours that a chadar (holy cloth) bearing Quranic inscriptions had been set on fire during a right-wing protest demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Authorities are investigating whether Mr. Khan played a role in instigating the riots.
According to another FIR, a group of 50 to 60 people, led by Mr. Khan, gathered unlawfully outside Ganeshpeth police station on Monday. They submitted a memorandum to the police, opposing the protest carried out by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. Subsequently, Mr. Khan and eight others proceeded to the Bhaldarpura area, where approximately 500 to 600 people from a minority community had assembled near Shivaji Maharaj Chowk. He was later arrested, though officials did not specify the exact time of his detention.
According to eyewitnesses, the violence erupted around 7:30 p.m. in Chitnis Park, in the Mahal area of central Nagpur, near the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s headquarters. The unrest soon spread to Ganeshpeth, Bhagalpur, Hansapuri, and other areas, leading to stone-pelting and clashes with the police. In total, 33 police personnel and five civilians were injured, with one civilian admitted to the ICU in critical condition.
A curfew remained in effect across several sensitive areas of the city following the violence, with hundreds of police personnel stationed on the roads and manning checkpoints. However, 48 hours after the unrest, the city was gradually returning to normal, as businesses started reopening in the affected areas and residents began to move about more freely.
