Nagpur Police on Wednesday (19th March) arrested Faheem Khan, city president of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP) in connection with Nagpur violence. The police have filed an FIR against 51 accused including Faheem Khan. Khan is said to be the mastermind of the communal violence that broke out in Nagpur on 17th March.
#BREAKING An FIR has been filed against 51 accused, including Minority Democratic Party (MDP) city president Fahim Khan, for allegedly instigating violence in Ganesh Peth, Nagpur (Maharashtra). The FIR includes charges of conspiracy to rape, molestation, and misconduct.… pic.twitter.com/Zz6DFApDhg
— IANS (@ians_india) March 19, 2025
Khan was reportedly arrested within hours of filing the FIR at the Ganeshpath Police Station wherein he is named as an accused. The FIR includes charges of conspiracy to rape, molestation and misconduct. Police had released a photograph of 38-year-old Khan, a resident of Sanjay Bagh Colony in Yashodhara Nagar. He has been remanded to police custody till 21st March. A video had also reportedly emerged showing Khan delivering a provocative speech moments before the violence.
As per senior police officials, a preliminary investigation revealed that Khan’s provocative speech, which was captured in the video, directly contributed to the escalation of tensions, resulting in communal clashes. The investigation into the matter is going on.
Khan reportedly contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat against the senior BJP leader and the Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari. He lost to Gadkari by more than 6.5 lakh votes.
On the evening of 17th March, Nagpur underwent violent unrest that left more than 30 people wounded over rumours of the burning of a copy of the Quran during a protest by Hindu organisations demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Demonstrators covered an effigy of the Mughal despot with a sheet and then put it on fire during the agitation. During the violence, a Muslim mob molested a woman police officer in the Bhhaladarpura area of Nagpur, Maharashtra, and attempted to disrobe her during the violence by the mob over Hindus demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb. An FIR has been filed against the rioters at Ganeshpeth police station.
Curfew is effective in several parts of the city as part of measures to restore peace.
