NAGPUR: Large parts of Nagpur remained barricaded and under curfew Wednesday as heavy security was deployed in riot-hit areas following Monday night’s violence. Police have arrested 78 people, including eight members of Bajrang Dal and VHP, in connection with the unrest.
Fahim Khan, 38, identified by police as the mastermind behind the riots, was taken into custody in a predawn raid at his home in a city locality. A burqa seller and son of a cycle repair shop owner, Khan had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against Union minister Nitin Gadkari, securing 1,000 votes.
He led a group of protesters to Ganeshpeth police station Monday to file a complaint against Bajrang Dal and VHP members for burning an effigy of Aurangzeb and a religious chadar during demonstrations demanding the removal of the Mughal emperor’s tomb in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Shortly after leaving the station, Khan recorded a video blaming police for shielding the demonstrators and criticising the minority commission chairman. The video quickly went viral, which police claim led to rioting in Mahal, a central Nagpur neighbourhood just 2km from the RSS headquarters.
The eight Bajrang Dal and VHP members surrendered at Kotwali police station before being formally arrested in connection with the case registered at Ganeshpeth. A court granted them bail, while 27 other rioters were remanded in police custody following a nine-hour hearing.
Two people critically wounded in the clashes – a teenager and a 40-year-old man who were placed on ventilator support – are now out of danger and recovering in govt-run hospitals, officials said.
Police teams were deployed across the city to collect CCTV footage and additional evidence while expanding their search for suspects in six registered cases. Police have accused more than 1,200 people of various violations, but efforts have been hampered by the failure of at least 1,500 surveillance cameras, including 70 in the riot-affected areas of central Nagpur.
Senior officers reviewed the situation as pressure mounted from trade groups and other community organisations to lift curfew restrictions in 11 police station limits. Authorities are expected to reassess the curfew Thursday morning.
Alleged mastermind Khan had organised protests over religious issues in the past and was charged with hate speech offences. A college dropout, he is a founder-member of Minorities Democratic Party (MDP), affiliated with Sunni Youth Force active in Chhattisgarh and MP since 2019.