March 19,2025: In a swift response to the communal violence that erupted in Nagpur on March 17, the city police arrested Fahim Shamim Khan, a local leader of the Minorities Democratic Party (MDP), on Wednesday. Khan, identified as the alleged mastermind behind the violence, was taken into custody just hours after his name was officially included in an FIR registered at Ganeshpeth police station.

Earlier in the day, the police had released Khan’s photograph, and a video surfaced showing him allegedly delivering an inflammatory speech, moments before the violence broke out. The 38 year old leader, who is the city president of MDP, has been taken to police custody until March 21.

According to senior police officials, preliminary police investigations and video evidence suggest that Khan’s provocative speech directly contributed to the escalation of tensions, triggering clashes between communities in the area. Notably, Khan had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Nagpur constituency, representing the MDP, but lost to senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.

The violence in Nagour’s Chitnis Park area was sparked by rumours of a community’s holy book being desecrated during a right-wing protest demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The unrest quickly escalated, with mobs pelting stones at Police, leaving 34 injured. A complaint was lodged against the protesters, accusing them of hurting the religious sentiments of a community, and an FIR was subsequently registered.