Nagpur has been witnessing a tense atmosphere following large-scale violence that erupted earlier this week. The unrest was reportedly triggered by rumours that a religious "chadar" bearing holy inscriptions was burnt during a protest led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The protest had sought the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb, located in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
In response to the violence, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken a stern stance against those involved. Speaking to the media in Nagpur, Fadnavis asserted that the cost of the damage caused during the riots would be recovered from the rioters themselves.
He added that if the offenders failed to pay, their properties would be sold to compensate for the losses. Addressing speculation about whether Maharashtra would adopt the "bulldozer action" approach seen in Uttar Pradesh, Fadnavis stated that action would be taken "in our way" and assured that no one involved would be spared.
So far, a total of 105 individuals have been arrested in connection with the violence, including 14 more on Friday. Notably, ten of those recently apprehended are juveniles.
Additionally, three new First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered in relation to the incident. Among those charged is key accused Fahim Khan, who has been booked for sedition.
The authorities are also monitoring inflammatory content on social media, having identified and deleted over 68 posts believed to have contributed to the unrest.
Despite concerns about a possible intelligence failure, Fadnavis denied a complete lapse, though he admitted intelligence gathering could have been more effective.
The Chief Minister confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Nagpur, scheduled for 30th March, would proceed as planned, dismissing rumours of a schedule change. The visit will include a stop at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters.
The police have ruled out any confirmation of a "Bangladeshi angle" to the violence, although there were indications of social media profiles sharing content from Bangladesh.
Additionally, certain groups from Malegaon have been found supporting the rioters, further complicating the investigation.
However, Fadnavis dismissed claims of a political motive behind the violence, stating that harsh measures would be taken against those responsible.
Amidst allegations of a woman police constable being sexually molested during the riots, Fadnavis clarified that while she was assaulted with stones and blocked by several rioters, there was no incident of molestation.
The Chief Minister reassured citizens that 80 per cent of Nagpur remains peaceful and that the curfew imposed in the affected areas would be gradually lifted. Plans are also underway to strengthen surveillance by installing additional CCTV cameras alongside the existing ones.
Defending the police's response to the riots, Fadnavis maintained that targeting law enforcement was unjust as they had acted to control the situation to the best of their ability.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Lohit Matani revealed that Hamid Engineer, the working president of the Minorities Democratic Party, was arrested on Friday night. He was detained for allegedly instigating violence, following an FIR filed by Nagpur Police's cyber cell.
Furthermore, Mohammad Shahzad, who manages the NNTV channel on Instagram and YouTube, was also arrested for allegedly promoting subversive activities and fuelling violence.
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