Following the violent battles that occurred Monday night (March 17, 2025), the Nagpur Police started to relax curfew restrictions in certain areas of the city while stepping up their efforts to find the rioters.
Due to public convenience and law-and-order concerns, Commissioner of Police Ravinder Singal said that curfew would be partially lifted in the confines of the Nandanvan and Kapil Nagar police stations starting at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Curfews in Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shantinagar, Sakkardara, and Imambada were loosened for two hours, from 2 to 4 p.m., so that locals could buy necessities.
After fighting broke out in central Nagpur on Monday, March 17, 2025, due to rumors that a chadar (holy cloth) bearing religious texts had been burned on fire during rallies organized by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, a curfew was enforced that evening. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district was to be removed, according to the objections.
To find and apprehend individuals responsible for the violence, the police had established eighteen special teams. Investigators have identified almost 200 suspects, and 69 people have been arrested thus far. An further 1,000 suspects who were caught on CCTV during the disturbances are being actively sought by the detectives.
Local leader Fahim Khan, a major suspect in the violence, and five other people have been charged by the cybercrime wing with sedition and disseminating false information on social media during the disturbances. Six of the 50 suspects were listed in four first information reports (FIRs) filed in relation to the violence.
Social media companies like Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube have also been asked by the criminal authorities for information about 230 accounts they believe are disseminating false material. According to Lohit Matani, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crime, they have attempted to block these accounts. “As soon as we receive the information, the accused will be identified and arrested,” he added.
According to the investigation, the rumors started after videos became viral on social media. Additional videos glorifying the subsequent riots were also circulated.
According to Mr. Matani, a film showing the demonstration against Aurangzeb’s mausoleum was produced and distributed by Mr. Khan, the city leader of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP), along with portions that extolled the ensuing violence. In addition to sharing offensive posts and riot footage to incite more disturbance, the four FIRs deal with the production and dissemination of provocative movies intended to incite violence.
During the violence, 33 police personnel, including three officers of DCP rank, were injured. Mobs damaged vehicles, hurled petrol bombs and stones at police, and attacked houses, causing widespread chaos, the police said. The police remained on high alert as they continued their efforts to restore order.
