38-year-old Irfan Ansari succumbed to injuries on Saturday five days after a mob attacked him during the violence in Maharashtra’s Nagpur. Ansari, a welder by profession, was attacked on his way to Nagpur railway station on 17 March.
He was a resident of Banda Nawaz Nagar. Irfan Ansari’s brother Imran Ansari told the media that the attack by some unknown individuals resulted in serious injuries.
“My brother, Irfan Ansari, was heading to Itarsi Junction Railway Station in an auto. Along the way, the driver told him he couldn’t go any further due to the unsafe conditions, so my brother chose to walk to the station instead. On his way, he was attacked by some unknown individuals who assaulted him so violently that he lost consciousness,” Imran Ansari said.
“He suffered serious injuries to his head, a fractured leg, and a back injury. He said that the public was responsible for the attack. We demand the harshest possible punishment for the perpetrators and hope that no one else experiences such a tragic fate.”
On 17 March, in front of the Shivaji statue in Nagpur’s Mahal area, members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal staged a protest burning a poster of Aurangzeb along with a Dargah chadar inscribed with Quranic verses. Hindutva groups were demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb following a political row triggered by the propaganda film “Chhaava”.
Following the incident, Muslim men gathered at the site, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible. They staged a protest and complained to the police, but residents alleged that the authorities were supporting the Hindu right-wing men instead of taking action.
By 7 PM, VHP and Bajrang Dal members marched through Muslim-majority areas of the city, chanting slogans. This provocation led to clashes between the two communities. The police were initially absent and arrived only after tensions had escalated, locals said.
Police have so far detained 92 individuals, including 12 juveniles. On Friday, police arrested Mohammad Hamid Engineer, founder of the Minorities Democratic Party. According to police, Earlier, Fahim Khan, a member of the Engineer’s party arrested earlier, was the main conspirator behind the violence.
On the role of accused Faheem Khan in Nagpur violence, Cyber DCP Lohit Matani said, “He edited and circulated the video of the protest against Aurangzeb and due to which the riots spread. He also glorified violent videos.”
The DCP further said, ‘Four FIRs have been registered. The first FIR is about the videos of the protest against Aurangzeb were doctored and circulated. Information of more than 230 profiles have been sought for blocking and we are seeking information about all of them from third parties, be it Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, and as we get information, we will identify those people and start the process of arresting them.”
Locals have said police were only arresting Muslims overlooking the involvement of the Hindutva groups. Following the uproar over the bias in the police crackdown, eight workers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal surrendered before the police, only to get bail that evening from the court.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that “bulldozer action will be taken wherever required” a punitive action banned by the Supreme Court of India.
Speaking to the media at the office of the Commissioner of Police in Nagpur, Fadnavis said, “The total damages caused during the riots will be calculated and recovered from the rioters themselves. If they fail to pay for the damages, their property will be sold.”
He added that individuals who incited violence through social media will be treated as co-accused. He stated that certain parties from Malegaon were found to be supporting the accused rioters.
Fadnavis clarified that reports of a woman constable being molested during the riots were false. She was blocked by rioters and attacked with stones, the CM added.
