As the violence broke out on March 17 in Nagpur, curfew was imposed in Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shanti Nagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imambada, Yashodhara Nagar and Kapil Nagar police station areas.
Days after major communal violence in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, the curfew is finally lifted bringing normalcy back in several areas. City administration started lifting curfew and restrictions in phases and now it is completely lifted. On March 17, violence broke out between two groups and the mob went on a rampage in central Nagpur areas. As per the police, the violence occurred following rumours that a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions was burnt during protests led by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal for the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Curfew lifted from all areas Nagpur police imposed curfew in Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shanti Nagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imambada, Yashodhara Nagar and Kapil Nagar police station areas. After controlling the situation, police started lifting curfew in phases. The curfew was lifted from Nandanvan and Kapil Nagar police station areas on March 20, and from Pachpaoli, Shanti Nagar, Lakadganj, Sakkardara and Imambada areas on March 22. Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal on Sunday ordered the lifting of curfew in the remaining Kotwali, Tehsil, Ganeshpeth and Yashodhara Nagar police station areas from 3 pm. However, patrolling will continue in sensitive areas along with the deployment of local police.
In the violence, thirty-three police personnel, including three Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officers, were injured. According to the chargesheet, mob also tried to molest a female police officer. A leader of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP) and six others were arrested on Saturday in connection with the violence in the city earlier this week, taking the number of arrested persons to 112. Hamid Engineer, executive president of MDP, and Mohammad Shahzad Khan were booked for sedition.
Maharashtra CM on Saturday said the government will recover the cost of property damaged during the recent Nagpur violence from rioters and roll bulldozer “if necessary”. Addressing the media, he said if the perpetrators of violence failed to compensate, their properties would be seized and sold to recover the losses. The cost of properties damaged during Nagpur violence will be recovered from rioters and the failure to pay up would lead to the seizure and selling of their properties to recover losses. My government will not rest until those responsible for attacking the police are found and dealt with sternly,” said Fadnavis, who also heads the Home Ministry.
