Nagpur (PTI): Members of the Muslim community in Nagpur have condemned the violence in Vidarbha’s largest city earlier this week and sought an impartial probe into it, claiming that timely action by police could have prevented it.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, they said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should meet representatives of both communities in a bid to establish peace.

Large-scale stone pelting and arson were reported in several parts of Nagpur on Monday evening after rumours began circulating about a ‘chadar' with holy inscriptions being burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb.

“Efforts are being made to provoke the Muslim community through various means in the last two to three years. A minister has been continuously raising the topic of Aurangzeb. The Muslim community has no connection to Aurangzeb and has remained calm,” Dr Mohammad Awes Hasan said at the press conference.

He alleged that right-wing outfits burnt a ‘chadar’ with Islamic verses on it which prompted members of the Muslim community to approach the police demanding action against them. However, when police did not take any step, some of them became agitated, he said.

A few of those who spoke at the press conference appreciated the efforts made by the police to restore normalcy but alleged that some innocent persons had been arrested as part of the probe into the violence.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra State Minorities Commission chief Pyare Khan held a meeting on Thursday, which was attended by the police commissioner and district collector, among others.

No action should be taken against innocent persons, he urged police.

He also asked the administration to relax curfew in Mominpura and nearby localities as Ramzan is underway and business was being affected.

Thirty-three police personnel, including three DCP rank officers, were injured in Monday's violence.

Police have booked Fahim Khan, the key accused in the violence, and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media, as per police. Curfew was lifted or relaxed in parts of the city three days after the violence.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bijapur (Chhattisgarh), May 15 (PTI): Rolo, a two-year-old female sniffer dog of the CRPF, was the only casualty suffered by the security forces during their biggest anti-Naxal operation at the Korgotalu hills as the four-legged soldier was attacked and stung around 200 times by a swarm of bees.

Officials told PTI that the canine was tasked with sniffing out explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the mega 21-day operation that concluded on May 11. Rolo was killed in action on April 27, they said.

The CRPF DG has awarded a commendation medal to the dog posthumously.

The security forces led by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Chhattisgarh Police units have claimed to have killed 31 Maoists, a "deadly blow" to the armed cadres of the Naxalites.

A total of 18 troops were injured, including some who underwent leg amputation due to blast injuries, in this operation that the forces said was the "biggest coordinated" operation against the Maoists till date.

The Korgotalu hills lie on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border (Bijapur and Mulugu districts of the two states respectively) and are home to wild animals, including bears, insects and bees, apart from water bodies and natural caves. The dense jungle makes them an ideal hideout for the Naxals.

Rolo, a Belgian Shepherd, was carrying out a search operation when the party was suddenly attacked by the swarm of bees on April 27, a senior CRPF official said.

Rolo's handlers covered it with a polythene sheet but the bees slipped inside and bit it. Due to intense pain and irritation, the dog went berserk and came out of the cover, making it vulnerable to more stings, the officials said.

The dog was stung around 200 times and fell unconscious. She was evacuated from the spot and emergency treatment was given to her by the handlers, the officials said.

However, Rolo succumbed to the pain on the way to a medical facility on April 27 and was declared brought dead by the veterinarians of the force.

The dog was deployed for anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh in April last year after being trained at the CRPF canine training centre at Taralu near Bengaluru in Karnataka.