Nagpur riots: 200 suspects identified, 90 arrested so far

Maharashtra: The police have established 18 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) to expedite the identification and arrest of the perpetrators of the recent violence in Nagpur city. To date, about 200 individuals have been recognized by CCTV cameras, and efforts are still in place to locate nearly 1,000 other suspects. To date, 90 individuals have already been arrested in relation to the violence. In the recent turn of events, the city's Cyber Cell has arrested 38-year-old Fahim Shamim Khan (inset), a Minorities Democratic Party (MDP) leader, and five others for sedition and posting false information on social media on Monday's violence.

Nagpur Violence: Bangladeshi ran social media handle ignited agitation

Cyber Cell Curbs 144 Inciting Posts Officials said Khan is one of the suspected masterminds behind the well-choreographed agitation. Initial investigations indicate Khan reportedly gave a provocative speech sometime before the brawl broke out. DCP Matani unveiled how Khan cut and distributed videos superimposing past protests against the tomb of Aurangzeb and other riot clips to fuel the narrative in a bid to present Muslims as oppressed and revengeful.

#WATCH | Nagpur, Maharashtra: Security heightened in Nagpur's Mominpura following violence that erupted on 17th March. pic.twitter.com/ruCxvAfVOj

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2025

FIRs filed by the Cyber Cell in relation to the violence

As per the top police officer, Khan's manipulated videos, aired extensively on social media, WhatsApp groups and other media, were said to have been deleted after circulation to wipe out evidence. Authorities further stated that Khan and his followers also produced new content romanticizing the violence, such as videos of attacks on police officers and stone-pelting events similar to conflict-hit areas like Kashmir further fueling communal tensions. Khan was detained for organizing a protest in front of a Nagpur police station on Monday, allegedly. He and six others are part of the 50 accused mentioned in four FIRs filed by the Cyber Cell in relation to the violence.

NIA has initiated an independent investigation

Intel Agencies have suggested that various banned organizations might have been major contributors to promoting this propaganda online, which aggravated the situation. Sources have affirmed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has initiated an independent investigation into potential connections of the riots to anti-national or banned groups. The agency is also investigating the extent to which foreign powers had a hand in orchestrating the violence. Under its investigation, the NIA is investigating the funding trail and exploring the extent to which there was a 'toolkit' pattern of using the unrest for coordination.

Quranic verses were intentionally burned

To know what was written on the green cloth that was laid over Aurangzeb's effigy, assistance was sought from Maulanas and experts. Equal matching cloth and material was also presented to experts and religious heads. In an address to the legislative assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis cleared misconceptions over the burning of Aurangzeb's effigy. He reiterated that although burning the Quran is reprehensible, allegations that Quranic verses were intentionally burned during demonstrations were completely unfounded. He underscored that no culpable party will be exempted.