ASI covers Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after Nagpur violence
The decision comes after VHP and Bajrang Dal protested demanding Aurangzeb's tomb removal, which led to violence in Nagpur on Monday.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Thursday covered parts of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb's tomb in Maharashtra's Chhattrapati Sambhajinagar district with tin sheets on two sides amid demands for its removal.
The district administration made the decision two days ago following a visit by collector Dilip Swami and superintendent of police Vinaykumar Rathod, along with ASI officials, news agency PTI reported.
A local official told PTI that tin sheets and wire fencing were placed on two sides of the structure on Wednesday night. Additionally, a circular fence will be installed around the tomb. A senior district official stated, “The green net covering two sides of the tomb was in bad shape, and the structure was visible to those visiting the nearby Khwaja Syed Zainuddin Chishti grave. So we have installed tin sheets.”
The move follows protests by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, which escalated into violence in Nagpur on Monday.
The 17th-century Mughal emperor drew renewed attention after the success of the Hindi film Chhaava, which depicts the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the Maratha warrior king, who was executed on Aurangzeb's orders.
Latest updates on Nagpur violence
Maharashtra Police's cyber cell said on Thursday that one of the accused in the Nagpur violence, Fahim Khan, "edited and circulated videos" and "glorified violence" on social media, which contributed to the riots spreading across the city.
"He (Fahim Khan) edited and circulated the video of the protest against Aurangzeb and due to which the riots spread. He also glorified violent videos," Cyber Cell Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Lohit Matani told ANI.
Police have registered four FIRs concerning the riots that broke out on Monday night in Nagpur. "Four FIRs have been registered. The first FIR is that videos of the protest against Aurangzeb were edited and circulated, and violence was glorified in the videos. Second is about making clips about the violence and spreading them so that there would be violence between two communities. Third is multiple posts were made in which violence was further instigated," Matani said.
Fahim Khan, a leader of the Minorities Democratic Party (MD), was arrested on March 19 and has been remanded in custody until Friday, March 21. His arrest followed the filing of an FIR related to the riots.
Nagpur collector Vipin Itankar stated earlier today that normalcy has been restored in the area, though curfew remains in place in some parts of the city. He added that the government is assessing damage to civilian property and will compensate those affected.
Nagpur Police have arrested around 65 people in connection with the violent clashes that erupted on March 17, an official confirmed on Wednesday.
The arrests were made after an investigation into the unrest, which also saw CCTV cameras being damaged. Authorities are now probing the alleged mastermind's involvement and reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the violence.
