Nagpur violence: 14 more held, takes number of arrests to 105; 3 fresh FIRs registered

Pic/PTI

Fourteen persons were arrested on Friday in connection with the violence in Nagpur earlier this week, taking the total number those held so far to 105, a senior police official said, reported news agency PTI.

Those held include 10 juveniles, as per police.

Three more FIRs have been registered in connection with the incident, he added.

Large-scale stone pelting and arson was reported in several parts of Nagpur on March 17 over rumours that a 'chadar' with holy inscriptions was burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, which is in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.

"The 14 accused have been arrested from different parts of the city in connection with the riots. Three more FIRs have been registered related to the riots," Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singhal said, reported PTI.

The decision on lifting curfew from some parts of the city will be taken after a high-level review meeting, he added, reported PTI.

Singhal, meanwhile, held a meeting at Police Bhavan in Civil Lines here to take stock of the situation.

Thirty-three police personnel including three Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officers were injured during the violence.

Key accused Fahim Khan is among those booked for sedition.

Accused Fahim Khan seeks bail, claims political vendetta against him

Fahim Khan, a 'key' accused in the cases related to the violence that erupted in Nagpur city earlier this week, has moved the sessions court seeking bail while claiming that his arrest was "political vendetta" as he had sought action against VHP activists, reported PTI.

Khan, city president of the Minorities Democratic Party, was arrested on March 19, two days after the incidents of rioting and arson, and remanded in police custody. After his remand ended on Friday, the court sent him in judicial custody in view of his ill-health, reported PTI.

The police said it would seek his custody later.

Khan also filed a bail application before the Nagpur district sessions court. It is likely to come up for hearing on March 24, his lawyer Ashwin Ingole said.

He had been falsely implicated in the case and there was no evidence to show that he instigated the mobs to go on a rampage on March 17, the bail application said, reported PTI.

The allegations levelled against him were "false and baseless", and police did not attribute any overt role to him in the violence, he said, reported PTI.

The case registered against him was "political vendetta" as on March 18 he had demanded that First Information Reports (FIRs) be registered against members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the bail application claimed.

(With inputs from PTI)