Mumbai: The Nagpur Police have intensified their crackdown following Monday’s violent clashes, with a special focus on the social media activities that played a significant role in fueling unrest. So far, the police have registered six FIRs related to the violence, while the Cyber Cell has filed an additional 4 FIRs, flagging 230 social media profiles. The investigation has also uncovered several crucial foreign links, including a Facebook account operated from Bangladesh, which is suspected to have played a key role in inciting the violence.
Among the most alarming findings, the Cyber Cell has traced a Facebook account operated from Bangladesh, where the user described Monday’s violence as a “small event” and warned of “bigger riots to follow.” Security agencies confirmed that the post originated from Bangladesh.
The user issued an ominous message: “Monday’s riots were just a trailer; bigger riots will follow.” The account, confirmed to be operated from Bangladeshi territory, prompted the police to formally request Facebook to block the account. Investigation reveal that apart from the Bangladesh several posts from other Islamic nations, including a neighbouring country, which contained inflammatory slogans such as “Sar tan se juda” and “Babri Masjid to bardasht kar li, lekin ab yeh nahi bardasht karenge.” “Agar Maidan- e- jang saj jaaye to phir gardano par vaar karo” and calls for violent retaliation.
The Cyber Cell has been sent to Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube social media platforms seeking information about 230 profiles, urging that objectionable posts be removed. The agencies have invoked Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, directing platforms to delete inflammatory content immediately. Notices under Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, have also been issued to identify the individuals operating these accounts.
The city’s Cyber Cell has booked 38-year-old Fahim Shamim Khan, a leader of the Minorities Democratic Party (MDP), along with five others, on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media during Monday’s violence. Officials said Khan is one of the masterminds behind the well-planned unrest..
Preliminary investigations suggest that Khan allegedly delivered an inflammatory speech shortly before the clashes erupted. DCP Matani revealed that Khan edited and circulated videos combining past protests against Aurangzeb’s tomb and other riot footage to manipulate the narrative, portraying Muslims as oppressed and calling for retaliation. According to the senior police official Khan’s doctored videos, broadcast widely across social media, WhatsApp groups, broadcast and other platforms, were reportedly deleted after circulation to erase evidence.
Officials added that Khan and his associates also created fresh content glorifying the violence, including videos showing attacks on police personnel and stone-pelting incidents similar to conflict-affected regions such as Kashmir further fanning communal tensions.
Intel Agencies indicated that several banned organizations may have played a significant role in amplifying this propaganda online, exacerbating the situation.
Khan was arrested for allegedly leading a protest outside a Nagpur police station on Monday. He and six others are among the 50 accused named in four separate FIRs registered by the Cyber Cell in connection with the violence.
The Cyber Cell has flagged 144 posts and videos for spreading fake news, doctored footage, and hate speech, all aimed at stoking communal tensions. False claims, including the death of two individuals injured during the clashes, were categorically debunked by officials.
Nagpur Police have urged citizens not to circulate unverified content and warned of strict legal action against those engaging in the dissemination of misinformation.
Sources confirmed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a parallel probe to investigate possible links between the riots and anti-national or banned organizations. The agency is also examining whether any foreign entities played a role in orchestrating the violence. As part of its investigation, the NIA is probing the funding trail and looking into the possibility of a ‘toolkit’ pattern being used to coordinate the unrest.
To understand what was written on the green cloth placed on Aurangzeb’s effigy, help was taken from Maulanas and experts. Similar matching cloth and content was shown to experts and religious leaders. Addressing the legislative assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified misinformation regarding the burning of Aurangzeb’s effigy. He stressed that while burning the Quran is condemnable, claims suggesting that Quranic verses were deliberately burned during protests were entirely false. He emphasized that no guilty party will be spared.
The police have formed 18 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) to fast-track the identification and arrest of perpetrators. So far, around 200 individuals have been identified through CCTV footage, with efforts underway to track down nearly 1,000 more suspects. As of now, 90 individuals have been arrested in connection with the violence.
