On 17th March, 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. The violence broke out in Nagpur over rumours that copies of the Quran were burnt during protests by Hindus. Thousands of mobsters were seen chanting Islamic slogans, vandalising vehicles, pelting stones at houses, and destroying shops belonging to Hindus in different parts of the city.
According to media reports, a mob of around 500 individuals was chanting slogans and pelting stones. Senior police officials reached the scene with a heavy police force, including riot control personnel and female officers, to bring the situation under control.
As the police attempted to disperse the mob, the Islamists turned aggressive and started pelting stones at the police personnel. They abused the police and physically assaulted some officers. Amid the ongoing violence, a group within the mob got hold of a woman police officer and molested her. They attempted to disrobe her. Fortunately, the female police officer managed to escape in time. As she escaped, the rioters turned to police vehicles parked in the area and vandalised them.
Round-the-clock police patrols
Police have marked 11 areas as highly sensitive and 19 as sensitive following the riots. Additional police forces have been deployed in the area for round-the-clock patrols. The sensitive areas include Mahal and Mominpura. Reports suggest that armed police units have been patrolling these areas continuously to ensure law and order.
Nagpur Violence
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. Rumours, however, quickly surfaced that a copy of Quran had also been burned during the outrage. The fake claims then spread like wildfire especially through social media, triggering members of the Muslim community. The atmosphere became tense as thousands of Muslims gathered to protest and shouted Islamic slogans after which they soon wreaked havoc on the streets of Nagpur.
According to reports, rioters set fire to cars, threw stones and damaged public property. Three cars and around 30 vehicles were set ablaze, 33 police personnel were hurt, and nearly 60 to 65 rioters were arrested. The area around the Kotwali police station was soon affected by the violence that started in Chitnis Park and Mahal and later spread to other parts. The decoration materials intended for the Ram Navami Shobha Yatra were also not spared. According to witnesses, the rioters had their faces concealed and were carrying swords, weapons and bottles.
