2 days after communal clashes, situation peaceful in Satara dist; net service suspended till Wednesday
To ensure law and order, additional police personnel have been deployed in the village and adjoining areas
Pune: Almost 48 hours after riots broke out at Pusesawali village in Satara district, normalcy began returning amid curfew and suspension of internet services till Wednesday, officials from district administration said on Tuesday.
A 30-year-old Noorulhasan Liaquat Shikalgar was killed and 10 others sustained injuries as “objectionable” posts on social media triggered communal clashes in Pusesawali late on Sunday.
To ensure law and order, additional police personnel have been deployed in the village and adjoining areas.
Police have arrested 23 people in a case related to murder and rioting while two persons have been arrested in a separate FIR pertaining to social media posts under IPC Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs). A third FIR is filed by police pertaining to obstruction in discharging duty and around 10 persons have been detained in this regard.
“We have decided to keep internet shut till Wednesday evening and will review the situation before resuming the facility,” said Jitendra Dudi, Satara district collector.
During the group clash on Sunday night over an “objectionable” post on social media, rioters set on fire some houses and vehicles, police said.
Two youths were detained in connection with the objectionable social media posts and internet services were suspended, an officer said on Monday. “Police are maintaining tight security in the village. The situation is under control now,” said another senior police official. He said investigation into the posting of objectionable content on social media is underway. Meanwhile, the police have urged some local organisations to postpone their proposed peace march in Satara city on Tuesday till weekend as Section 144 (banning assembly of four or more people in public) is imposed in the region
“We have told the organisers to take out the march once the situation improves,” said Kirankumar Suryawanshi, deputy superintendent of police.
