Nagpur, who is commonly known for its calm and cultural image, suddenly hit the violence on the night of 17 March. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a dispute arose over Aurangzeb’s tomb, which brought the fire to Nagpur. During a protests by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), rumors spread that a sheet with sacred inscriptions had been burnt. This was just a rumor, but it set the hearts of the people on fire.
As soon as this false information spread, the atmosphere in many parts of the city deteriorated. Angry mob took to the streets and started stone pelting, arson and sabotage. Initially there was a protest, it had taken a terrible form of violence within a few hours. Many shops and vehicles were set on fire.
When and where was the first clash?
The first report of the violence came from the north-eastern part of Nagpur, where there was a clash between the two communities. Initially it was just sloganeering, but the situation became uncontrollable. In the initial action of the police, the situation came under control for a short time, but by night, violence spread in other parts of the city.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene, incidents of stone pelting and arson increased rapidly. Religious places were also targeted in some places, causing the situation to become more serious. The administration was forced to implement curfew to prevent violence.
Night of 17 March: When Nagpur water rises
What happened that night?
On the night of March 17, Nagpur saw a scene that hardly anyone would forget. The city is usually immersed in celebration after the festival of Holi, but this time the atmosphere was tense. After around 9 pm, there were reports of sabotage and stone pelting from many areas of the city. On seeing this, the crowd became furious and many trains, shops and houses were damaged.
The police force reached the spot, but the number of crowd was so high that the situation was out of control. Police had to resort to tear gas shells and lathicharge to disperse the crowd. The situation became so serious that the administration had to impose curfew in 11 police station areas of Nagpur.
What are the areas at the center of violence?
Mominpura, Gandhibagh, Itwari, Lakdganj and Satanjipura were included in the most affected areas of Nagpur. A large number of police forces were deployed in these areas. Local citizens say they had to be imprisoned in homes without any warning. Schools, colleges, markets were everything closed.
At the same time, the police say that this action was necessary so that the situation could be brought under control. Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singhal said that the violence was carried out in a planned manner and a special team has been formed to investigate it.
Stress increased due to death of injured person
Who was Irfan Ansari?
A name came out among the people injured in this violence – Irfan Ansari. Irfan was hit by violence when he had gone out of his house to take medicines. Irfan, who was seriously injured in firing and stone pelting, was immediately admitted to Mayo Hospital, where his condition remained critical.
The doctors tried their best to save him, but died on 21 March. Irfan’s death made the pre -stressed atmosphere more sensitive. There was both mourning and resentment in his family and community.
Status and atmosphere after death
As the news of Irfan’s death spread, tension again spread in many areas. People took to the streets and started demanding justice. The police and administration had to re -deploy additional force to control the situation.
After this, the administration announced that curfew will still continue in some areas, especially in areas where the situation is still tense. At the same time, social organizations have also raised their voice demanding compensation to the families of Irfan and to get justice.
Action and arrests of police
How many people have been caught so far?
Rapid action has been taken by the police. So far, a total of 105 people have been arrested in this case, including 14 people arrested on Friday. The special thing is that 10 out of these 14 are minors, whose role is also being investigated.
Nagpur police say that every accused has been identified with the help of CCTV footage, video and eyewitnesses. Apart from this, three new FIRs have also been registered, which is clear that the investigation is still going on and more arrests may occur in the coming days.
Why minor involved in arrests?
Police is also looking for the answer to this question. Officials believe that viral rumors on social media also worked to incite youth, especially minors. In many cases it has been observed that children were included in the crowd so that police action could be avoided.
Therefore, the police is also investigating whether anyone deliberately involved minors in this violence. If it is found, separate action will be taken against them. Apart from this, there are also plans to get the arrested minors counseling so that they can be brought to the mainstream.
