10 held in Patan after ‘rioting, violence over social media post’
The 10 arrested men were remanded to police custody until July 21 on Tuesday.
4 min read
The two accused named by Arif in his complaint -- Krish and Nimesh – are yet to be arrested. (Representational image/File) Ten people were arrested for rioting in Patan on Monday after several clashed over an alleged communal social media post, the police said. Two FIRs were lodged in this regard at Balisana police station on July 17. The 10 arrested men were remanded to police custody until July 21 on Tuesday.
“At 4 pm yesterday, we arrested 10 people. Further investigation is underway,” said K K Pandya, Patan Deputy Superintendent of Police, in-charge of Balisana. Pandya, however, refused to provide any details on the said social media post.
Inspector J S Chaudhary from Balisana police station, meanwhile, said the dispute was “communal” in nature. The first FIR was related to the post was lodged around 1 am on July 17 by Meetkumar Patel (27). He alleged that on the night of July 16 (Sunday), while he along with his friends were walking, “a mob of around 35 to 40 people came from a mosque on the opposite side”, surrounded them, asked their names and threatened to kill them. The mob then allegedly started attacking them with knife, swords and other weapons, including iron pipes and rods.
According to Meetkumar, he, along with six of his friends, suffered injuries in the attack, including head injuries. He added that the mob dispersed only after the public intervened. As per Meetkumar, he and two of his friends Jasminbhai Patel and Omkumar Patel were admitted to Dharpur Civil Hospital.
All 10 named by Meetkumar in his police complaint have been arrested. Pandya identified them as Khalilbhai Ilyasbhai Sikandar Shaikh (42), Yamin Abdulbhai Miyabhai Shaikh (20), Ahmed Hussain Fakir Shaikh (20), Ushai Ibrahimbhai Shaikh (45), Arifbhai Abdul Shaikh (32), Shikandar Abdulbhai Shaikh (22), Ilyasdullah Asim Ahmed Shaikh (48), Rizwanbhai Kottorbhai Shaikh (32), Noor Mahmoodbhai Shaikh (23) and Jiauddin Mahmood Iqbal (37).
The accused are facing charges under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (grievous hurt), 324, 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147, 148 (rioting), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) and 294 (b) (utters obscenity) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The second FIR related to the alleged post, filed around 1.30 am on July 17 by a person named Arif Sheikh (32), stated that on the night of July 16, he had noticed that a man named Krish Patel was about to attack his uncle with an iron pipe. As Arif intervened, he was allegedly hit. Following this, Arif fainted and a mob that had allegedly gathered along with Krish, dispersed. According to Arif, the attack occurred despite an earlier “settlement reached” over a social media post.
Arif also claimed in his complaint that he and his uncle were stopped on their way to the hospital by village sarpanch Nimesh Patel, who verbally abused them and pelted them with stones. Following this, the two ran to their neighbourhood and took a private car to reach the Patan Civil Hospital where Arif received three stitches on his head.
The two accused named by Arif in his complaint — Krish and Nimesh – are yet to be arrested. They have been charged under sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 294(b) (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place) and 114 (abettor present when offense is committed) of the IPC.
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