Communal clash hit Maharashtra city residents say peaceful coexistence shattered

Mumbai: The recent communal clashes in Shevgaon town in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district left the city in awe and shock, as the local residents and traders, mostly cotton traders for which the place is known, say that the situation was not the same as before when both communities lived peacefully for years.

The communal violence reportedly started after an Instagram post deriding the Prophet, allegedly influenced by the controversial film 'The Kerala Story'. One person was reportedly killed, while several others from both communities suffered serious to minor injuries, leading to the arrest of more than 100 people.

Authorities had shut down the internet and imposed Section 144, declaring curfew, in the area. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's office appealed to locals to bring peace while instructing state police to take strict action against those who got involved in the violent incidents.

Residents report that people from both communities involved in the clashes have peacefully coexisted in the same locality for years. However, Sunday night's clashes have shattered this harmony, leaving them feeling insecure.

The Indian Express, quoted a resident as saying that "If this is not polarisation, then what is?"

The clashes occurred near a mosque during a procession on Sunday night, held to mark the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Initially, the Ahmednagar district police reported four police and one Home Guard personnel injured.

However, the figures were revised on Tuesday, stating that three policemen and four Home Guard personnel were injured. The number of injured civilians is now believed to be at least 12, with data still being collected from various hospitals.

In addition to the two FIRs registered on Monday morning for stone-pelting and an attack on a man named Navnath Patkal, the police filed a third FIR in connection with arson and vandalism.

An eatery and an automobile repair garage were set on fire, while several vehicles and shops were damaged. A cloth trader, whose shop was vandalised, revealed that they received a call about stones being pelted on their shop's glass facade and chose not to go fearing the worst.

Authorities have registered three FIRs so far and have identified 112 out of 250 to 300 people involved in the incidents through security camera footage. The process of identifying and apprehending additional suspects is currently underway.

It is suspected that several of those involved, including minors, have yet to be identified. The local shopowners and traders' organization, along with nearby Pathardi village, called for a complete bandh in solidarity and demanded the arrest of all those involved in the violence.