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187 rioting cases filed in Maharashtra, 710 arrested after offensive Facebook posts
MUMBAI: The police have registered 187 rioting cases across the state, mainly in western Maharashtra, and arrested at least 710 miscreants belonging to various radical Hindu outfits for damaging government property and attacking members of the minority community following the derogatory posts on a social networking site.
The state police are also verifying if the riots are connected with the murder of Infotech professional Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh in Pune on Monday.
Since last week, radical Hindu outfits have been protesting against the derogatory posts, but the agitations suddenly turned violent since May 31, claimed that police. The protestors, who were initially only targeting government property, also started pelting stones at shops, houses and religious places of the minority community across the state, damaging property worth Rs 1.25 crore.
"There were protests in several places against the Facebook posts. We are examining the details of all the incidents and are trying to find out if they are connected with the Pune murder," said Deven Bharti, special inspector-general of police (law and order). After examining the details, the police will prepare a report and submit it to the government.
On Monday, Shaikh was attacked by members of the Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS), who were apparently enraged by the derogatory posts on Chhatrapati Shivaji and late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. But later it was learnt that Shaikh was not targeted because he was taken to be the one who had uploaded the posts, but because he sported a beard and was in a Pathan suit, which marked him out as a Muslim.
Police suspect the attackers had targeted Shaikh randomly, but the murder was part of bigger conspiracy. "Most of the riots took place a day before the murder," said an officer.
While the Pune police have arrested 17 persons for the murder, the Mumbai police have started collecting details of the pending cases against HRS chief Dhananjay Desai, and are keeping tabs on the outfit's activities and its office in Vile Parle. "Desai's office in Vile Parle, but he spends most of his time in Pune," said a police officer. Police said after examining the details of the past cases against Desai, they will decide if they can initiate strict action against him.
The state police are also verifying if the riots are connected with the murder of Infotech professional Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh in Pune on Monday.
Since last week, radical Hindu outfits have been protesting against the derogatory posts, but the agitations suddenly turned violent since May 31, claimed that police. The protestors, who were initially only targeting government property, also started pelting stones at shops, houses and religious places of the minority community across the state, damaging property worth Rs 1.25 crore.
"There were protests in several places against the Facebook posts. We are examining the details of all the incidents and are trying to find out if they are connected with the Pune murder," said Deven Bharti, special inspector-general of police (law and order). After examining the details, the police will prepare a report and submit it to the government.
On Monday, Shaikh was attacked by members of the Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS), who were apparently enraged by the derogatory posts on Chhatrapati Shivaji and late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. But later it was learnt that Shaikh was not targeted because he was taken to be the one who had uploaded the posts, but because he sported a beard and was in a Pathan suit, which marked him out as a Muslim.
Police suspect the attackers had targeted Shaikh randomly, but the murder was part of bigger conspiracy. "Most of the riots took place a day before the murder," said an officer.
While the Pune police have arrested 17 persons for the murder, the Mumbai police have started collecting details of the pending cases against HRS chief Dhananjay Desai, and are keeping tabs on the outfit's activities and its office in Vile Parle. "Desai's office in Vile Parle, but he spends most of his time in Pune," said a police officer. Police said after examining the details of the past cases against Desai, they will decide if they can initiate strict action against him.
