Mumbai: Arbaaz Khan, a second-year student of VXF animation in Mumbai, was arrested on Saturday for inciting last week’s riot in Akola in which one person was killed and 10 others were injured. The riot also led to huge loss of public and private property in incidents of vandalism and arson.
Khan’s controversial post had gone viral on Instagram, which is said to be the root cause of the communal clash in which over 100 people were arrested. The police have also accused Arbaaz of circulating his post and illegally gathering a crowd at Ramdas Peth police station that led to a sensitive situation.
Akola violence
The mob later resorted to violence at several other places in the city, including attacks on cops. The police have also arrested a person from Ganganagar area of Akola for circulating the controversial post through a fake Instagram account.
Khan was the main complainant in the case at Ramdas Peth police station and came there with a huge crowd, but became untraceable after filing the plaint, making the police suspect him. He hails from the Mohata Mill area of Akola city and has been studying in Mumbai for the past two years.
In the Harihar Peth area of old Akola town, a major riot erupted last Saturday. Several vehicles were vandalised and even burnt. There were also incidents of arson and the police had to use teargas to disperse the crowds. District collector Nima Arora then imposed prohibitory orders across the town.
Few years ago, several members of banned youth organisation SIMI were arrested from Akola. The police, however, refrained from making any comments regarding whether there was any link between the incidents or whether the police are investigating in the right direction. “We are still investigating the case and cannot reveal further details at the moment,” said Superintendent of Police Sandip Ghuge
