Bangladeshi link emerge in Nagpur violence, mastermind from Malegaon

Mumbai: A Bangladeshi link seems to have emerged during the investigations of the Nagpur communal violence prompting the police to probe whether there were “larger designs” behind the flare up fueled through social media.

Meanwhile, it emerged that the mastermind in the case, Fahim Khan, who is associated with the Minorities Democratic Party, hails from Malegaon in Nashik district.

Even though the situation was normal, strict security arrangements were in place in Nagpur for the Friday prayer and congregation with police maintaining a hawk-eyed vigil.

Speaking to a special event of a Marathi news channel, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state Home Minister, said that there would be a thorough probe and no one would be spared.

“It has been found that some social media posts were in Bengali…the kind of Bengali spoken in Bangladesh…we will probe whether there is a larger design,” he said.

“One of the masterminds of the Nagpur riots hails from Malegaon. A thorough investigation will be conducted and those who spoiled the atmosphere will not be spared. We have also filed cases against VHP and Bajrang Dal members. If attacks on the police are tolerated, law and order in the state will collapse. Therefore, we shall teach the culprits a lesson,” he said.

Fadnavis, however, said the incident could not be described as intelligence failure. “We cannot term it as intelligence failure. However, the monitoring of social media after noon was inadequate. Inflammatory posts were spread through social media. We have the capacity for social media monitoring, but we need to develop the habit of using it. Now, violence is less on the streets and more through social media," he said, adding that police have responded in “quickest possible time”.

“The problem was not on main roads but in lanes and bylanes,” he said, adding that how the police controlled could be seen through CCTV footage.

Fadnavis said that whether there were some larger plans or designs is being probed. “In the past incidents of violence in the country, we have seen a pattern…whether the same pattern was there in Nagpur also is being investigated,” he said, adding that more than 100 persons have been arrested so far.