A black patch of soot on the road where a bike was set on fire on Tuesday night in the Warulwadi area of Ahmednagar. (Express Photo by Sushant Kulkarni) A bike skidding at high speed near a group of three persons triggered clashes between groups belonging to two communities in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar city on Tuesday night, resulting in injuries to five persons and damages to three vehicles, a senior police officer told The Indian Express.
On Wednesday, when The Indian Express visited the site, the heavy police deployment in six “sensitive areas” of the city had thinned, and the situation had calmed down. But there was palpable tension in the air as most shops in the area remained closed or operated with shutters half-down.
Prohibitory orders remained in force in Ahmednagar, like several other jurisdictions in the state in the wake of communal clashes in Nandurbar on Tuesday, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on March 29, and in Jalgaon on March 28.
According to police in Ahmednagar, no “communal angle” has emerged so far and Tuesday’s clashes in the city were the result of a petty dispute. They said that 17 people have been arrested in two cases registered under IPC sections related to rioting and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means.
The two suspects arrested in one of the cases have been identified as Atul Kardile (30) and Kiran Manjare (23). A search is on for five more suspects, who have been named as wanted, the police said.
In the second case, the 15 arrested suspects have been identified as Zishan Khan (34), Amaruddin Shaikh (24), Abdul Umar Khan (50), Arif Khudakhan (24), Gulab Khan (25), Vasid Khan (20), Abdul Habib Khan (24), Sarfaraz Sayyed (34), Abdul Khan (53), Asgar Khan (48), Moinuddin Ansari (38), Mohammed Jamal Khan (30), Hasmatulla Khan (21), Kutubuddin Khan (31) and Yusuf Zainuddin Shaikh (42).
Another person has been named as wanted in the case.
According to police, the clash originated in the Warulwadi area of Ahmednagar city around 8.30 pm, and triggered minor incidents of stone pelting at two locations — Mukundnagar and on Sambhajinagar road. At one of the spots, police resorted to a mild lathicharge, officers said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Ahmednagar SP Rakesh Ola said, “The preliminary investigation suggests that the sequence of events started in Warulwadi with a fight between two persons from one side and three from another. The two persons were passing by the area on their bike at high speed and the two-wheeler skidded where the three persons from the other side were standing. The two sides exchanged words and subsequently traded slaps and blows.”
The SP said, “This fight ended soon but people from both sides went back to their respective areas and returned with others and they clashed again. It was during this clash that arson and vandalism were reported. Two bikes were set on fire and one car was vandalised in the same area. Five persons have been injured, which include people from both sides.”
Police said that both sides used sticks to attack each other.
Warulwadi is a sparsely populated area of Ahmednagar with small houses and industrial units spread over a network of narrow roads with a mixed population from different communities.
A 50-year-old woman, who runs a grocery and dairy shop in the area, said, “The two groups started fighting a few metres away from here. After some time, the groups carrying sticks came close to my shop. I was alone and my son was away. I closed the shutter fearing attacks and vandalism. The group set a bike on fire right in front of my shop. Within minutes, the police came. Later, more police arrived.”
Showing a large patch of black soot on the road where the bike was set on fire, she said, “We had heard about such acts on TV but actually seeing a mob setting a bike on fire has shocked all of us.”
The police said all the three vehicles that were damaged belonged to members of the two groups that clashed and were removed from the area on Wednesday morning. They said the situation was brought under control within an hour of police being deployed.
SP Rakesh Ola said, “We have arrested 17 persons which include people from both sides. We are urging citizens not to fall prey to rumour-mongering and not to spread any misinformation. Two cases have been registered based on complaints filed by both sides against each other. The police probe is on the right track.”
Officials also said they were investigating social media messages posted by both sides at the time when clashes had begun and whether that led to escalation of tension. SP Ola said, “We are investigating that aspect.”