Aurangabad riot was planned, say local police

The reason for last Friday’s riot in Aurangabad — 350 km east of Mumbai — is unclear, but local police have not ruled out the possibility that it was planned and methodically executed as rioters were in possession of swords, pistols, bottles filled with acid or kerosene, and petrol bombs.

Vinayak Dhakne, deputy commissioner of police, zone 1, Aurangabad,said,“Apoliceteam is investigating the cause of the riot, but we have not ruled out the possibility that this was planned. The rioters seemed organised and methodical.”

Since the midnight of Friday and Saturday, Aurangabad has endured arson, looting, and stone-pelting. The violence resulted in two deaths. To quell rumours being spread via social media, the local administration ordered an internet blockade, which was not lifted till the time of going to press. Locals here told HT they are unable to figure out how weapons used in the riots were so easily accessible to rioters within a few minutes after angry mobs took to streets.

Chanda Rajput, a social worker and resident of Raja Bazar, the area that lies at the heart of the communal tension, spent over 10 hours on Friday night rescuing women and children from the riot-torn streets. She told HT, “We saw hundreds of people marching toward us, and within no time, they hurled acid and petrol bottles into our homes. Following this, rioters catapulted fireballs in through the broken windows. They had swords and bags full of massive stones. While this was happening on the street, we were pelted with heavy bricks from a nearby building’s rooftop.” Shaikh Saber, whose shop at Shahaganj was gutted by a rioting mob, said, “I saw men hurtling forward with long swords and large stones. Some had locally-made pistols as well. It looked like they had come prepared.”

Dhakne, the police officer in charge of the area where the riot took place, said, “Friday’s violence was the third communal incident in the past week. This has led citizens and policemen to believe that the tension was brewing for some time, and it needed only a minor trigger.”

Last Wednesday, an angry mob from one community overturned several fruit carts at Shahaganj, mostly belonging to another community, after a minor altercation over the sale of mangoes. In another incident, an automobile garage owner from Moti Karanja area was assaulted by a mob. Some shopkeepers in the Shahaganj area, where 45 galas were gutted in the riot, alleged that they were facing communal threats for the past two weeks, and had complained to the city’s police commissioner Milind Bharambe last week. “But there was no response,” they alleged. According to the shopkeepers, the lease of these shops had expired recently, but they had secured a court order in their favour, allowing them to continue running the establishments.

Dhakne said, “Tension was brewing for a while, but mainly because of issues relating to the municipal corporation, and a disagreement with the authorities over where to host the Meena Bazaar during the Ramzan month. The corporation had held meetings with both communities.”

Survivors recount chilling tales

“There was a fire raging in my house. My parents, siblings and I were trapped inside as a mob torched my house and blocked the gate from outside. After a 25-minute of struggle, we forced the door open. We almost choked to death. I helplessly watched my home burning (on Friday night),” said 24-year-old Madhuri Sharma, whose house was in Raja Bazar, the heart of riot-torn Aurangabad. The Sharmas are staying on the footpath outside their charred home. Three days of communal violence have left a trail of destruction and desolation: two killed and 250 injured; and 100 shops and houses burned.

The city resembled a garrison town with a dozen policemen guarding every corner.

While some survivors are coming to terms with the loss of property, others are finding it hard to turn a new leaf.

Ayesha Begum Shaikh, 60, who cannot walk owing to an ailment, said, “Thinking about Friday and Saturday gives sends chill down my spine. The police assaulted me as they suspected that my brother was part of a rioting mob. They broke down the door of my house on Saturday morning and tried to drag my brother away. I tried protecting him and they held a gun to my head, forcing me to not interfere. My brother has cancer and cannot move either, so we were all helpless.” One Abdul Rauf lost his life’s earnings when his electric appliance store was burned.