Civic authorities demolish house of Nagpur violence key accused Fahim Khan

Nagpur: Amid heavy police security, civic authorities on Monday morning demolished a two-storey house of Nagpur violence key accused Fahim Khan over unauthorised construction, officials said. The authorities also removed an illegally constructed portion of a house of another accused Yusuf Sheikh in Mahal area, where the violence took place on March 17, they said. Fahim Khan, a leader of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP), has been booked for sedition. He is among the over 100 persons arrested for the violence in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on March 17.

A few days back, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation issued a notice to Khan, citing various lapses and lack of the building plan approval (for his house), sources said. At around 10.30 am on Monday, three JCB machines of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation started demolishing the house, located at Sanjay Bagh Colony in Yashodhara Nagar area here, amid heavy security and drone surveillance in the entire area. The area where the demolition work was being done was completely barricaded. The house, registered in the name of Khan's mother, was located on a plot of Nagpur Improvement Trust (Lease) and the lease ended in 2020, a civic official said. There was no sanction plan for the building and the entire construction was unauthorised, the official said, adding the action was being taken under the MRTP Act.

A notice of demolition was given 24 hours prior to the action, the official said. Besides, the authorities also removed an illegally constructed balcony at the house of Sheikh at Johripura in Mahal area, a civic official said. MDP city chief Fahim Khan is currently lodged in a jail. The violence erupted in Nagpur on March 17, after rumours spread that a ‘chadar’ with religious inscriptions had been burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The clashes resulted in widespread stone-pelting and arson across several parts of the city, leaving 33 police personnel, including three Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officers, injured. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the cost of properties damaged during the violence will be recovered from rioters and the failure to pay up would lead to the seizure and selling of their properties to recover losses. "My government will not rest until those responsible for attacking the police are found and dealt with sternly," said Fadnavis, who also heads the state home department. The CM said those who circulated inflammatory content would be charged as co-accused for their role in inciting violence. Fadnavis also said it was too early to comment on a foreign or Bangladeshi link to the riots as the probe was underway. "However, the Malegaon connection can be seen (in violence) as one of the accused belongs to a political party from Malegaon who could be seen helping rioters," he said without taking the name of Fahim Khan, arrested for sedition.