Communal violence in Pune's Yavat: Four cases filed against over 500 persons; 17 of them detained

Pune: Police have registered four cases against more than 500 persons and detained 17 of them on charges of indulging in arson and damaging property during the clashes in Yavat village in Daund tehsil of Pune district over an alleged objectionable post, officials said on Saturday.

The youth who uploaded the social media post has also been arrested and a separate case was registered against him, they said.

Communal tension erupted and separate incidents of violence were reported in Yavat village on Friday afternoon in which groups of persons, angered by the social media post, vandalised and set ablaze properties.

"So far, we have registered a total of five cases in connection with the violence. Four of the cases are against more than 500 people who were involved in the alleged arson and damage to property. Of these, 500-plus people, the identity of more than 100 people has been ascertained and 17 people have been taken into custody," an official of Yavat police station said.

Besides these cases, an FIR has also been registered against the youth who uploaded the objectionable post on social media, on the charge of hurting religious sentiments, and he has been arrested, he said.

Those involved in the incident targeted a motorcycle, two cars, one religious structure and a bakery, and indulged in arson. The police had to lob tear gas shells and lathi-charge to disperse the mob.

A preventive order has been imposed in Yavat and the situation was under control, he said.

During his visit to Pune on Friday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said a non-native youth had uploaded an objectionable post about a Hindu priest being involved in a rape case, which angered residents.

"To disperse the mob, police had to resort to lathi charge. The situation in Yavat is now under control and peace prevails. People from both communities are together and efforts are on to defuse tensions. Some people keep such objectionable posts just to create tension. Strict action will be taken against them. No one has the right to post objectionable content," the CM had said.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited the site on Friday and said the youth who allegedly uploaded the objectionable Whatsapp post hails from Nanded and is a daily wage labourer. He put out an objectionable post related to an incident that took place in Madhya Pradesh, which angered the locals and they resorted to vandalism, he said.