60 detained for communal clashes after social media post in Gandhinagar district

Police said around 200 personnel have been deployed in the area about 40km from the heart of Gandinagar city

Published on: Sep 25, 2025, 19:42:55 IST

By Maulik Pathak

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Nearly 60 people have been detained in connection with communal clashes that broke out in Bahiyal village of Dehgam taluka in Gandhinagar district on Wednesday night following a controversial social media post.

Gandhinagar: People walk past burnt shops following clashes and stone-pelting between two groups at Bahiyal village, in Gandhinagar district, Sept. 25 (PTI)

According to Gandhinagar inspector general Virendra Singh Yadav, the unrest was triggered by a shopkeeper’s social media post that drew strong reaction from a section of the other community, he said. Late at night, a mob attacked the shopkeeper and vandalised his shop, the official added.

The situation soon escalated, with hundreds of people from both sides gathering on the streets and indulging in violence. Three shops were damaged, and several private vehicles were damaged. The shopkeeper and a few others suffered minor injuries, said Yadav.

Police said around 200 personnel have been deployed in the area about 40km from the heart of Gandinagar city. Tear gas shells were used to disperse the mob and bring the situation under control.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered at Dehgam police station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to rioting, unlawful assembly, and promoting enmity between groups. Cybercrime officials are examining the WhatsApp post for possible violations of the Information Technology Act.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maulik Pathak
He is an Ahmedabad-based journalist with more than two decades of experience. His career spans business journalism and general news, with reporting across politics, crime, governance, public policy, business, industry, infrastructure, energy, ports, aviation, the environment, wildlife and social issues. He began his career in feature writing before moving into business journalism, reporting on companies and sectors including energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and real estate. Over the years, his work expanded to politics, courts, crime, public policy, civic affairs, the environment and wildlife. His reporting has taken him from government offices and courtrooms to factory floors, ports, forests and remote villages, covering stories that range from industrial investments and financial markets to elections, conservation and issues affecting everyday life. While many assignments demand the pace of the daily news cycle, others require sustained reporting over months and years to follow developments beyond the headlines. He started his journalism career with the Asian Age in Ahmedabad in 2002 as a feature writer and sub-editor. Since 2022, he has been working with Hindustan Times. Earlier, he worked with Business Standard, DNA, The Economic Times, Mint and The Times of India. His longest stint was with Mint, where he spent more than eight years reporting across multiple beats. During his career, he has worked in both reporting and editing roles, contributing to page planning, local editions and special editorial projects as newsrooms evolved from print-first operations to digital publishing. Early in his career, he also worked on media and documentary projects with an NGO and as a copywriter at a communications agency before returning to journalism. Away from work, he sometimes makes time for a pair of binoculars, table tennis, cinema and the occasional poem.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather major national developments and Karnataka Bandh LIVE.