Communal Violence In Pune Over WhatAapp Post: Case Against Over 500

Police have registered a total of five FIRs against more than 500 persons in connection with the communal violence in Yavat village of Pune district that broke out over an alleged objectionable post on a social messaging platform, officials said on Saturday.

While the youth who uploaded the objectionable post has been arrested, 17 others have been detained for indulging in arson and damaging property during the clashes at Yavat in Daund tehsil, they said.

The communal tension erupted and incidents of violence took place across Yavat village on Friday afternoon in which groups of persons, angered by the social media post, vandalised and set ablaze properties.

"So far, we have registered a total of five cases in connection with the violence. Four of the cases are against more than 500 people who were allegedly involved in arson and damage to property. Of these, more than 100 people have been identified and 17 of them have been taken into custody," an official of Yavat police station said.

An FIR was also registered against the youth who uploaded the objectionable post, on the charge of hurting religious sentiments, and he has been arrested, he said.

Those involved in the incident targeted a motorcycle, two cars, one religious structure and a bakery, and indulged in arson. The police had to lob tear gas shells and lathi-charge to disperse the mob, the official said.

A preventive order had been imposed in Yavat and the situation was under control, he said.

Talking to reporters, Pune Superintendent of Police (SP) Sandeep Singh Gill said the preliminary probe does not point to any planned conspiracy, and conclusions cannot be drawn until the inquiry is over.

"Till Saturday afternoon, police have registered five FIRs in connection with the incident," he said, adding that the person whose objectionable post triggered the violence has resided in the village for years.

The SP added that after the violence broke out, the police responded quickly and brought the situation under control.

"A large contingent of security personnel, including the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), has been deployed in the village. Authorities also imposed prohibitory orders under the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) section 163 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 144 from Friday night, and they will remain in place till further situation is assessed," Gill Said.

Talking to PTI, Additional SP Ganesh Biradar said the social media platforms were being monitored.

"We are also using drones in villages to keep an eye. Sixteen to 17 persons have been detained so far," he said.

Rahul Kul, BJP MLA from the Daund constituency also visited the violence-hit village on Friday night and held talks with Special Inspector General of Kolhapur Range Sunil Phulari and other senior police officers.

When asked about the current situation, a villager said, "There is no tension now and the situation is under control. We share brotherly relations with everyone around, but clashes broke out over some objectionable status." During his visit to Pune on Friday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said a youth hailing from some other place had uploaded an objectionable post about a Hindu priest being involved in a rape case, which angered residents.

"To disperse the mob, police had to resort to lathi charge. The situation in Yavat is now under control and peace prevails. People from both communities are together and efforts are on to defuse tensions. Some people keep such objectionable posts just to create tension. Strict action will be taken against them. No one has the right to post objectionable content," the CM had said.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited the site on Friday and said the youth who allegedly uploaded the objectionable Whatsapp post hails from Nanded and is a daily wage labourer. He put out an objectionable post related to an incident that took place in Madhya Pradesh, which angered the locals and they resorted to vandalism, he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)