Day after clashes in Nashik, 6 FIR filed, 20 arrested

“We have registered six FIRs against both sides for unlawful assembly, rioting, attempted murder, among other charges, and have arrested 20 people so far,” said Shrinivas Deshmukh, senior police inspector of Bhadrakali police station.

The Sakal Hindu Samaj had called a bandh in Nashik on Friday to protest against the violence in Bangladesh. The bandh led to widespread shop closures, and around 1 pm, one of the protest rallies reached the Dudh Bazar area of Nashik, where slogans were raised, leading to an altercation and subsequent clashes.

The confrontation between the two sides escalated in the Old Nashik area with stone-pelting. The police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the crowd and also fired tear gas.

Meanwhile, Rural Development Minister Girish Mahajan ordered an investigation into the incident and visited the injured at a hospital.

FIR against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj

The Thane city police on Saturday filed an FIR against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, a prominent Hindu religious leader, for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Islam. A police officer confirmed that on Saturday, the Mumbra police filed an FIR against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj on the complaint of 31-year-old Maulana Sajid-Ul-Rehman, from Mumbra. Ramgiri Maharaj, during a recently held religious event at Shah Panchale village in Sinnar taluka of Nashik district, made the alleged derogatory remarks against Islam.

Notably, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde shared a stage with Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj on Friday, during which he referred to the seer as a “saint” and assured him that “in Maharashtra, no one would dare lay a hand on a saint”.

‘Sakal Hindu Samaj enforces bandh

The Sakal Hindu Samaj on Saturday held rallies and enforced bandh in several parts of Maharashtra to protest against “atrocities” against Hindus in Bangladesh. It had given a call for bandh in Dhule, Jalgaon, Bhayander, Yavatmal-Washim amd Akola among other cities across the state.