Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], March 20 : Maharashtra Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan on Thursday called for justice and compensation in the wake of the Nagpur violence. Khan emphasised that no innocent person should be targeted, while those responsible for the incident should face strict action.
"There should be no action against any innocent person. Strict action should be taken against those responsible for the incident... Those whose property has been damaged should be compensated within 48 hours...," said Khan.
Khan's statement comes after communal clashes erupted in Nagpur's Mahal area during Ram Navami celebrations, leaving several injured and properties damaged. The Chairman has appealed for peace and calm, urging residents to maintain harmony.
So far, Nagpur Police have arrested 50 people, including seven minors, following the violent clashes that erupted on March 17, an official said on Wednesday.
The arrests were made following an investigation into the unrest, during which CCTV cameras were also damaged. Authorities are probing the involvement of the alleged mastermind and assessing the sequence of events leading up to the violence.
The violent clashes erupted in Nagpur on March 17 over the demand for the removal of Aurangzeb's grave, with stones hurled at police amid rumours that a holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation.
Meanwhile, the situation is back to normalcy as the curfew imposed in several areas was lifted.
In a recent development, Maharashtra Police's Cyber cell said that one of the accused in the Nagpur violence "edited and circulated videos" and "glorified violence" on social media, which led to the riots spreading in various parts of the city.
"He (Faheem Khan) edited and circulated the video of the protest against Aurangzeb due to which the riots spread. He also glorified violent videos," cyber cell's Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Lohit Matani told ANI here.
The police have registered four FIRs in connection with the riots which took place on Monday night in Nagpur.
"Four FIRs have been registered. The first FIR is that videos of the protest against Aurangzeb were edited and circulated, and violence was glorified in the videos. The second is about making clips about the violence and spreading them so that there would be violence between two communities. Third is multiple posts were made in which violence was further instigated," Matani said.
Accused Faheem Khan was arrested on March 19; he has been remanded in custody till Friday, March 21. Khan is a leader of the Minorities Democratic Party.