Akola clashes: Instagram account handler, man who complained against him held

The police said that the 21-year-old man initially sent abusive messages to the complainant through an anonymous account named XYZZZZZ99988 on May 13. In return, the 25-year-old also started abusing him. “In the whole conversation, both of them were just abusing and instigating each other. And when the complainant (25-year-old) demanded his number for confrontation, the anonymous account holder shared two numbers, which later appeared to be of a police constable Raj Giri and another of police informer Karan Sahu,” said an investigating officer.

When asked the reason behind sharing those numbers, an investigator said, “The 21-year-old had lodged a complaint of theft with police in 2022 during which he had taken the phone number of Giri and as a mischief he shared it with the complainant. While he had heard of Sahu as an influential person in Akola, he dared the 25-year-old to come to his house.”

The 25-year-old sent those messages to various groups after which people started gathering at Ramdaspeth police station. While the case was being registered against the unknown Instagram handle, a section of the group went near Hariharpeth area in Old City. After the group started pelting stones, situation turned violent, leading to the death of an 39-year-old electrician and eight others getting injured, along with several vehicles getting damaged.

Police have so far arrested around 150 persons for their role in the incident, and said they are still trying to understand the reason behind the exchange of objectionable messages.