19 booked in Nagpur for sharing sensitive content on social media

Those booked, apart from the juveniles, are 19 to 44 years old. According to police, charges have been invoked under three sections — creating enmity between groups, circulating misinformation, and insulting a particular community.

“None of the sections carry a punishment of more than seven years, which means that unless they have a previous record, they cannot be arrested. However, they are detained under the Maharashtra Police Act, which allows detention from a law and order perspective. Once detained, they are interrogated regarding the social media post and its source,” Poddar said.

Police have also identified three persons from Nagpur city who were allegedly responsible for the centralised distribution of sensitive posts. Among them is Fahim Khan, identified as the chief accused in the riots, as he was already facing another FIR.

“The primary accused are all citizens from Nagpur rural. They haven’t been directly involved in the Nagpur riots but are from towns as far as Katol and Kuhi, which are far from Nagpur city. In the cases registered in Kanhan and Khaparkheda, which are closer to Nagpur, direct involvement of the accused was not established. The secondary accused include Fahim Khan and two others from Yashodhara Nagar, a part of the city affected by the riots,” Poddar added.

To check escalation, police conducted route march in all six sub-divisions of the district. Separate meetings have also been held with Hindu and Muslim citizens, as well as community leaders, to prevent the spread of provocative social media posts and ensure peace, said Poddar.
Five cases were registered on March 18 in Nagpur Rural district. At Kanhan police station, accused Anas Sheikh (21) and Arshid Sheikh (21) — both from Shivaji Nagar, Kanhan, were identified. They have been charged under sections 299, 196, 353(2), and 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita.

Police investigations revealed that Fahim Shamin Khan, a Nagpur resident and administrator of the ‘Sunni Youth Force Official’ Instagram group, played a key role. Arshid Sheikh, a group member, allegedly shared provocative content. Khan, also linked to the Nagpur violence, has already been arrested.

In a separate case at Katol police station, Rihan Yunus Sheikh (22) of Pethbudhwar, Katol, was booked over his social media activity. Additionally, Hafiz alias Monu Shakil Shah of Yashodhara Nagar was identified as a collaborator.

On March 18, 2025, five cases were registered at Khaparkheda, Kanhan, Katol, Kuhi, and Kondhali police stations. In Khaparkheda, seven accused, including Shahbaz Nasir Khan (19) and Shoaib Riyaz Khan (21), were booked under sections 299, 196, 353(2), and 61(2) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita. Their mobile phones have been seized for forensic analysis.

In Katol, Rihan Yunus Sheikh (22) was booked for similar offences. Kuhi police detained Roshan Habib Sheikh and a minor for sharing communal content, while Kondhali police took action against three minors for posting inflammatory content. They were detained under Section 68 of the Maharashtra Police Act, and their mobile phones will undergo forensic examination. Additionally, bonds of good behaviour were secured. All minors were let go after interrogation.

At Parshivani police station, Ravindra Sadashivrao Barve (49) was booked under sections 196, 353(2), and 61(2) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita for posting controversial content about Hindu religious texts on Facebook. At Katol police station, Harshal Ganesh Ausarkar, a resident of Peth Budhwar, Katol, was charged under sections 299, 196, and 353(2) for sharing an Instagram story about Aurangzeb.

Nagpur police are closely monitoring the social media activity of Nagpur citizens to ensure law and order after the city witnessed violence March 17. Commissioner of police Dr Ravinder Singal, too, urged people not to share sensitive content on social media platforms.