Nagpur: The Cyber Police in Nagpur have booked 38-year-old Fahim Shamim Khan, the Minorities Democratic Party (MDP) leader arrested for his role in the Nagpur violence, and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media during the unrest. The punishment for sedition can be imprisonment for life, or imprisonment up to three years, along with a fine.
These six individuals are among the 50 accused against whom the cyber police registered four First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with the violence in Nagpur town on Monday.
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Friday 21 March 2025
“The Cyber Crime Department has also asked for information from Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube authorities about 230 profiles on their platforms and sought for them to be blocked,” DCP Cyber Crime Lohit Matani said at a press briefing. “As soon as the department gets the information, the accused will be identified and arrested,” he added.
The official said their probe indicated that misinformation was spread initially after some videos were shared on social media, which fuelled violence further, and then more videos “glorified the violence”.
Fahim Khan was arrested for allegedly leading a protest outside a Nagpur police station on Monday.
DCP Matani alleged that Fahim Khan edited a video of a protest against Aurangzeb’s tomb, and circulated it on social media, and he had also shared videos of “glorification of the violence”. The four FIRs have been registered in connection with the creation of provocative videos of protest against Aurangzeb’s tomb and their circulation to instigate violence.
Besides, clippings of violence were shared on social media to incite more riots. Also, indecent posts were shared which further instigated the violence, and videos of the riots and chants made by some people were glorified to trigger more violence, Matani said referring to the FIRs.
Curfew was lifted or relaxed in some areas of Nagpur on Thursday, three days after violence rocked the city, officials said.
Violent mobs went on a rampage in central Nagpur areas on Monday night amid rumours that a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions was burnt during protests led by VHP and Bajrang Dal for the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Amid demand from right-wing organisations that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb at Khultabad in Maharashtra’s Sambhajinagar district be removed, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has put up tin sheets on two sides of the 18th century structure.
