NAGPUR: Police have formed 18 specialised teams to track down and arrest those involved in Nagpur violence, officials stated on Thursday. 69 individuals have been detained regarding the disturbance that occurred on Monday. The curfew remained in effect across numerous precincts of the city for the third consecutive day on Thursday.
The police has identified 200 suspects and is working to identify an additional 1,000 individuals captured in CCTV footage of the riots, according to a senior official.
Five First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed at the Ganeshpeth and Kotwali police stations on Monday, naming 200 accused individuals.
Authorities are utilising CCTV footage to identify additional participants in the violence, the official confirmed.
Nagpur commissioner of police Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal informed reporters on Wednesday about special teams comprising personnel from Ganeshpeth, Kotwali and Tehsil police stations, alongside the Crime Branch.
These teams are collaborating with the cyber cell to assist in suspect identification, another official confirmed.
Minority Democratic Party (MDP) leader Fahim Khan is among the 69 individuals arrested in connection with the Nagpur unrest.
Officials previously reported that Khan allegedly organised a protest outside a Nagpur police station on Monday.
According to police records, Khan has previous charges, including electricity theft and involvement in a protest during 2023-2024.
The FIR states that Khan led 50 to 60 people who gathered unlawfully outside Ganeshpeth police station on Monday, submitting a memorandum against Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s earlier protest.
An official reported that Khan and eight others proceeded to Bhaldarpura area, where 500 to 600 people from a minority community had assembled near Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, leading to his subsequent arrest.
Regarding Khan’s potential role as the violence orchestrator, Singal stated on Wednesday that investigations were ongoing to identify attackers and establish the involvement of individuals named in the FIR.
The violence on Monday night resulted in injuries to thirty-three police personnel, including three DCP-rank officers, as mobs damaged vehicles, launched petrol bombs and stones at police, and attacked residences.
Initial investigations suggest the violence was triggered by rumours about a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions being burnt during VHP-led protests demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
According to an FIR, some rioters allegedly harassed a woman constable and attempted to remove her uniform during the unrest.
