Nagpur Violence Shocker: FIR alleges accused molested woman cop, made obscene gestures

A man molested an on-duty female police officer during the Nagpur violence, according to an FIR registered on Wednesday. The accused also made obscene gestures and misbehaved with other women, including police personnel. The violence erupted on March 17 around 4 p.m. and lasted until 11:30 p.m., The Indian Express reported.

The Times of India stated that the accused touched the officer’s body and uniform. The FIR was registered two days after violence spread across Nagpur amid a dispute over Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb. Rumors of a right-wing group burning the Quran fueled the riots, PTI reported.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal protested at Mahal Gate in Pune, demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb. Protesters allegedly burned a religious cloth, The Times of India reported. The violence quickly spread to Mahal and Hasanpuri, with rioters torching vehicles and property. Authorities imposed a curfew and called for calm. Police detained several suspects.

Sub-inspector Jitendra Baburao Gadge from Ganeshpeth Police Station registered FIR number 0115 on March 18. He was on duty from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday. Police arrested 51 people and named 51 accused in the FIR, along with 500-600 unidentified individuals.

On Wednesday, the Judicial Magistrate First Class Court (JMFC) remanded 19 accused to police custody until March 21. Nagpur police sought their remand for further investigation.

Eknath Shinde compared the Aurangzeb tomb row to how the U.S. handled Osama Bin Laden’s burial. The Maharashtra deputy chief minister stated that the U.S. dumped Bin Laden’s body at sea to prevent glorification.

“Who is Aurangzeb? Why should we glorify him? He is a blot on our history,” Shinde said in a heated legislative debate. “Even the U.S. ensured Osama Bin Laden was not buried on their land. They disposed of him at sea to prevent glorification.”

Shinde called the Nagpur violence “unfortunate” and confirmed that four DCP-level officers were among the injured.