Hours after the demolition began in the morning, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court intervened, issuing a stay on the demolitions and criticising the administration for its "high-handedness"
On Monday the house of the key accused in Nagpur violence was destroyed by the Municipal body. File Pic
The local civic authorities on Monday demolished the two-story residence of Fahim Khan, the alleged 'mastermind' behind the Nagpur violence on March 17, citing illegal construction, reported the PTI.
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The operation, which involved bulldozers and a heavy police presence assisted by drones, also saw the removal of an illegally constructed balcony at the house of another accused, Yusuf Sheikh, in the Mahal area where the riots occurred, according to the PTI.
Hours after the demolition began in the morning, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court intervened, issuing a stay on the demolitions and criticising the administration for its "high-handedness," as per the PTI.
While Khan's house was razed prior to the court's intervention, officials stopped work on the illegal structures at Sheikh's home following the directive.
On March 17, violent clashes broke out in Nagpur that had rocked the city.
The incident took place after a protest for the demand for the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's grave in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Stones were hurled at police amid rumours that a holy book of a community was burnt during the agitation, the police officials had earlier said, as per the PTI.
Meanwhile, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation anti-encroachment squad also reached another Nagpur violence accused, Yusuf Shaikh's house located at Johri Pura Mahal in the city, and demolished the alleged illegal construction.
Nagpur Municipal Corporation demolished parts of the house of another accused, Faheem Khan on the same day earlier.
"We had the order to investigate into a complaint. We did a proper investigation. As per Sec 53(1) of the MRTP Act (Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966) a notice was issued for 24 hours. As soon as the duration completed, this action was taken...," Sunil Gajbhiye, Depuy Engineer, Nagpur Municipal Corporation said, according to the PTI.
Following the violence, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had on March 22, said that 92 people have been arrested in connection with the March 17 Nagpur violence.
During a press conference, CM Fadnavis said that the violence was triggered by rumours spread on social media alleging that a holy 'chadar' had been burnt on that day.
"I chaired a high-level meeting regarding the violence, which was also attended by State minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. I reviewed every detail and shared my thoughts... The tomb of Aurangzeb was burnt that day when this incident occurred. Following the incident, a case was registered with the police. However, some people spread a rumour via podcasts and social media posts that a holy 'chadar' was burnt. This led to rioters pelting stones, torching vehicles and attacking shops in Nagpur," CM Fadnavis had earlier said.
(with PTI inputs)
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