Nagpur is on high alert after an anonymous letter claimed radioactive material was planted at key locations, including the RSS headquarters and a BJP office. Police are investigating the threat, with extensive searches underway.
Nagpur police seized 7.5 kilograms of mephedrone worth 2.25 crore from a rented flat in Uppalwadi, leading to the arrest of an alleged member of an interstate peddling network.
Curfew was lifted from the remaining four areas of Nagpur in Maharashtra on Sunday, six days after violence rocked the city. The violence erupted on March 17 after rumors spread about a chadar with holy inscriptions being burnt during a protest led by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. The rumors were later found to be baseless.
Curfew has been lifted in Nagpur after six days of violence that rocked the city. The situation is now peaceful, according to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The violence, which began on March 17, was sparked by rumors that a "chadar" with holy inscriptions was burned during protests by the VHP and Bajrang Dal demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb. The police have arrested more than 100 people in connection with the violence.
The Nagpur violence may have been prevented had the police considered the dangerous potential of the VHP/Bajrang Dal's demonstration; had they immediately stopped the burning of the chaddar and arrested the demonstrators; and had they fanned out to counter the rumours that spread among Muslims, observes Jyoti Punwani.
Police in Nagpur, Maharashtra, have formed 18 special teams to track down and arrest those involved in the violence that erupted in the city on Monday. As of Thursday, 69 people have been arrested in connection with the riots, while 200 accused have been identified and another 1,000 suspects are being investigated based on CCTV footage. The violence, which was sparked by rumors about a religious artifact being burnt during protests, led to injuries to 33 police personnel and damage to property.
The law and order situation in Nagpur, which was rocked by violence on Monday night, is under control but a curfew continues in many sensitive areas of the city, a senior official said on Wednesday. Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal said the situation will be reviewed in the afternoon. More than 2,000 armed police personnel have been deployed in the sensitive areas. Violence erupted in central Nagpur's Chitnis Park in the Mahal area on Monday, with stones hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. As many as 34 police personnel were injured in the violence. A curfew, restricting the movement of people and vehicles, was subsequently imposed in sensitive areas in the city.
Delayed trains coupled with the long pending demand for Diva-CST local service led to a violent rail-roko agitation at Diva railway station near Thane on Friday morning, Government Railway Police said.
Fadnavis further said it was too early to comment on a foreign or Bangladeshi link to the riots as the probe is underway.
Nagpur Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said social media was used to vitiate the atmosphere, and appealed to the opposition not to politicise the matter.
In several parts of the metropolis, shops were shut in protest and schools held prayer meets as a mark of respect to the CRPF personnel who were killed on Thursday.
