Yavat in Pune witnesses mob violence, arson over Whatsapp post; youth booked

Pune, Aug 1 (PTI) An irate mob vandalised properties and indulged in arson in Yavat in Pune's Daund tehsil on Friday afternoon over an objectionable post allegedly uploaded on social media by a youth from a different community, police officials said.

A motorcycle was set ablaze and a bakery was damaged, the officials said, adding teargas shells had to be lobbed to bring the situation under control amid large mobs taking to the streets to vent their ire.

There is heavy police presence in the village at the moment and peace and order has been restored, these officials said.

The youth, who hails from outside the village, had kept an objectionable Whatsapp post, and he has been detained, Sandip Singh Gill, Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural), told PTI.

"On being alerted, we detained the youth. However, by then the post went viral, leading to trouble in the village already tense due to some previous incidents. The mob vandalised structures belonging to members of the opposite community hailing from outside," Gill said.

A Yavat police station official said a youth had allegedly desecrated the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on July 26, which had angered residents.

"Though there was some tension in the locality, the situation was under control since the person who committed the act was arrested at the time. Even a Hindu Jan Akrosh morcha held in Yavat on Thursday went off peacefully," he said.

"The objectionable post by a youth now sparked off fresh tension. Mobs hit the streets and resorted to the vandalism, targeting makeshift religious structures, houses, shops and vehicles of the opposite community, who are basically not natives of the village and have come from outside to earn their livelihoods," he added.

To bring the situation under control, police resorted to lathi charge and lobbing of teargas shells, the official said.

"The youth behind the Whatsapp post has been booked. The process to register cases in connection with vandalism is underway. Some 1000 people scattered at three to four places indulged in vandalism," the Yavat police station official informed.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was in Pune to attend an event, said a youth, who hails from outside, had put up an objectionable post about a Hindu priest raping someone, which angered residents.

"To disperse the mob, police had to resort to lathi charge. The situation in Yavat is now under control and peace prevails. People from both communities are together and efforts are on to defuse tensions. Some persons keep such objectionable posts just to create tension. Strict action will be taken against them. No one has the right to post objectionable content," the CM said.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who visited the site, said the youth who allegedly uploaded the objectionable Whatsapp post hails from Nanded and is a daily wage labourer.

"He put out an objectionable post related to an incident that took place in Madhya Pradesh. This angered locals and they resorted to vandalism. The situation is now under control and police are maintaining a close watch. No one should spread rumours or misinformation," Pawar said. PTI SPK BNM