21 cops injured in violence during Nashik dargah demolition drive; 15 held

Twenty one police personnel were injured and three police vehicles damaged when a mob attacked them while opposing the demolition of an unauthorised dargah in Maharashtra's Nashik city, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident took place late Tuesday night and police resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mob and brought the situation under control, they said, adding 15 persons have been detained in connection with the violence.

The injured police personnel were on security duty during the anti-encroachment drive at the spot when the incident occurred.

The situation is currently peaceful, a senior police official said.

At around 6 am on Wednesday, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) personnel removed the unauthorised Satpeer Baba Dargah located in Kathe Galli area of the city, following an order of the Bombay High Court, the police said.

"As per the HC order, the Satpeer Dargah trustees started the process of removing the structure on Tuesday night. A violent mob gathered to oppose the removal and pelted stones at police and Muslim leaders who went to pacify the protesters," Nashik Commissioner of Police Sandeep Karnik said.

"Police resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mob and brought the situation under control. Three police vehicles were damaged and 21 police personnel injured in the attack. The dargah was demolished in the morning and the process to file an FIR and arrest (those involved in the violence) is on," he said.

At around 11.30 pm on Tuesday, the trustees had reached the spot to remove the encroachment and started the work.

At that time, a mob of miscreants gathered at Usmania Chowk near the structure. They did not listen to the dargah trustees and other people who went to pacify them, DCP Kirankumar Chavan said.

"Police officials present at the place also tried to pacify them, but they did not listen to them. The miscreants pelted stones and damaged some vehicles. Mild force was used to control them," he said.

"As many as 15 persons have been detained and 57 motorcycles belonging to suspects have been seized. The situation is peaceful and under control at present," Chavan said.

Nearly 50 NMC personnel were engaged in the anti-encroachment drive at the dargah on Wednesday morning, which was carried out using four earth-excavators, six trucks and two dumpers, as per civic officials.

Notably, several unauthorised structures near the dargah were removed by the civic body's anti-encroachment team in February this year.

However, a section of local residents and members of Hindu outfits who then gathered at the site said the dargah itself was unauthorised and must be removed.

Nashik Central MLA Devyani Pharande had also said the NMC's anti-encroachment drive in February was not complete and the entire site should be cleared.