Nagpur violence: Curfew imposed after protest over Aurangzeb's grave

A curfew has been imposed in multiple areas of Nagpur city under Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) following tensions over the demand to remove Aurangzeb's grave, read an official Maharashtra police notification.

According to the official order issued by Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal, the restrictions will remain in place until further notice.

The curfew applies to police station limits in Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shantinagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodharanagar, and Kapilnagar.

As stated in the order, on March 17, around 200 to 250 members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal gathered near the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Mahal, Nagpur, to support removing Aurangzeb's grave. The protesters raised slogans demanding the grave's removal and displayed a symbolic green cloth filled with cow dung cakes.

Later, at 7:30 pm, around 80 to 100 people reportedly gathered in Bhaldarpura, creating tension and disrupting law and order. The order notes that the gathering caused distress to the public and affected the movement of people on the roads.

The order stated that the police have imposed a "communication ban (curfew)" in affected areas under Section 163 to prevent further incidents and maintain peace.

"During the lockdown period, no person should go out of the house for any reason other than medical reasons, nor should more than five people gather inside it. Also, orders are passed to prohibit spreading any kind of rumour, prohibiting doing all such acts," the order read.  ALSO READ | Nagpur Violence: Clashes erupt in Hansapuri after earlier unrest in Mahal

The police have been authorised to close roads in affected areas to maintain law and order. Anyone violating the curfew "remains punishable under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)."

However, the order clarifies that it "will not be applicable to police officers/employees on duty as well as government/administrative officers/employees, students appearing for essential services, and persons related to the fire brigade and various departments."

Meanwhile, Violence erupted in Nagpur's Hansapuri area as unidentified individuals vandalized shops, torched vehicles, and pelted stones, following an earlier clash between two groups in the Mahal area that had already heightened tensions in the city, according to reports.

An eyewitness from Hansapuri described the chaos caused by a masked group. "A team came here, their faces were hidden with scarves. They had sharp weapons, stickers, and bottles in their hands. They started the ruckus, vandalized shops, and pelted stones. They also torched vehicles," the eyewitness said.

Another local resident confirmed the destruction. "They vandalized shops... they set fire to 8-10 vehicles," he said.

Earlier, Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal assured residents that the situation was now under control.  ALSO READ | Nagpur violence: BJP's Bawankule calls for peace as police detain over 20

"The situation is peaceful right now. A photo was burned, following which people gathered. We requested them to disperse, and we even took action in this regard. They had even come to my office to meet me. They were told that an FIR had been lodged based on the names they mentioned, and action would be taken against them," he said.

He further explained the timeline of the unrest. "This incident occurred around 8-8:30 pm. Not many vehicles have been torched. We are assessing the damage. Two vehicles have been torched, and stone pelting has occurred. Police are conducting combing operations, and those involved are being identified and arrested. We have imposed Section 144, and everyone has been instructed not to step out unnecessarily or take the law into their own hands. Do not believe in rumours. Except for this area, the entire city is peaceful," he added.