Civic authorities demolish house of Nagpur violence key accused

Amid heavy police security, civic authorities on Monday morning demolished a two-storey house belonging to Fahim Khan, a key accused in the Nagpur violence, for unauthorised construction, officials said.

Khan, a leader of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP), has been booked for sedition. He is among the over 100 persons arrested for the violence in Maharashtra’s Nagpur city on March 17.

A few days back, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation issued a notice to Khan, citing various lapses and a lack of the building plan approval for his house, sources said.

At around 10.30 am on Monday, three JCB machines belonging to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation began demolishing the house, located at Sanjay Bagh Colony in the Yashodhara Nagar area, amid heavy security and drone surveillance throughout the area.

The area where the demolition work was being carried out was completely barricaded.

The house, registered in the name of Khan’s mother, was located on a plot owned by the Nagpur Improvement Trust (Lease) and the lease ended in 2020, a civic source said.

There was no sanction plan for the building, and the entire construction was unauthorised, the source said, adding that the action was being taken under the MRTP Act.

A notice of demolition was given 24 hours prior to the action, the source said.

MDP city chief Khan is currently lodged in a jail.

Violence erupted in Nagpur on March 17, after rumours spread that a ‘chadar’ with religious inscriptions had been burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

The clashes resulted in widespread stone-pelting and arson across several parts of the city, leaving 33 police personnel, including three Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officers, injured.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the cost of properties damaged during the violence will be recovered from rioters and the failure to pay up would lead to the seizure and selling of their properties to recover losses.

“My government will not rest until those responsible for attacking the police are found and dealt with sternly,” said Fadnavis, who also heads the Home Ministry.

The CM said those who circulated inflammatory content would be charged as co-accused for their role in inciting violence.

Fadnavis also said it was too early to comment on a foreign or Bangladeshi link to the riots as the probe was underway.

“However, the Malegaon connection can be seen (in violence) as one of the accused belongs to a political party from Malegaon who could be seen helping rioters,” he said without naming Fahim Khan, who was arrested for sedition.