Nagpur violence: 'Attack happened between 10.30 and 11.30', eyewitnesses said- police arrived one and a half hours after stone pelting and arson.

"Between 10:30 and 11:30 pm, the mob attacked pelted stones, and set vehicles on fire. People were beaten up. The mob had covered their faces and first of all, they targeted and broke the CCTV cameras. After that, they started trying to enter people's homes. The police reached the spot one to one and a half hours after the incident." This is what eyewitnesses say who are still in panic after the violence in Nagpur.

Situation tense in the Mahal and Hanspuri areas

Violence broke out in the Mahal and Hanspuri areas of Nagpur on Monday night. The masked mob broke CCTVs, tried to enter homes, and set vehicles on fire. Eyewitnesses say that the police took one to one and a half hours to reach the spot. Now the tension in the area is at its peak, and people are living in fear. The police have imposed prohibitory orders in the city. More than 20 people have been detained on charges of spreading unrest. Let's know what the eyewitnesses told while giving information about the incident.

Four two-wheelers parked in front of the house of Sharad Gupta (50), a resident of Hanspuri area, were torched. Sharad said the mob attacked, pelted stones, and torched vehicles between 10.30 pm and 11.30 pm. Gupta was injured in the attack and said the mob also vandalized a neighbor's shop. He said police arrived an hour later.

Angry locals demand action against those involved in the mob.

Angry residents demanded immediate police action against the mob. A PTI correspondent saw a couple locking their house and moving to a safer place nearby at 1.20 am. Chandrakant Kavade, another resident who was working for the Ram Navami procession, said the mob burnt all their decorative items and pelted stones at houses. Some residents came out in their corridors and a police contingent led by senior officials was seen marching in the streets.

A resident of the Hanspuri area told PTI-Bhasha that the mob attacked his house at around 10.30 pm and burnt his vehicles parked outside the house. He said, "We extinguished the fire by pouring water from the first floor of our house before the fire brigade arrived." People said - tables were broken after entering the clinic, and medicines were thrown away. 

Meanwhile, another resident Vansh Kavale said that the mob had covered their faces and broke the CCTV camera. They also tried to enter their homes. Another resident who has a tea stall in front of the clinic said that the mob entered the clinic (Bandu Clinic), broke all the tables and threw away the medicines. He said that his shop was also vandalized. 

Officials said that police have been deployed in the Hanspuri area. A local shopkeeper in Nagpur's violence-hit Hanspuri area said, "I closed my shop at 10.30 pm. Suddenly I saw people setting vehicles on fire. When I tried to extinguish the fire, I was hit with stones. My two vehicles and some other vehicles parked nearby were burnt." Another local said, "The police came here 1.5 hours after the entire incident. The perpetrators first targeted the CCTV cameras and damaged them." 

BJP MLA (Nagpur Central) Pravin Datke said, "I reached here early in the morning today. This entire incident was pre-planned. Yesterday morning after the agitation, the incident happened at Ganesh Peth police station, then everything was normal... Later the mob entered only Hindu houses and shops... First, all the cameras were broken and then violence was carried out in a pre-planned manner with weapons... I spoke to the CP (Police Commissioner), this is a sensitive area... We called PI Sanjay Singh for two hours but his phone was switched off... We were contacting the police. When the police reached here, everything was over... I will also talk to the CM... 

The pictures of the criminals are in the DVR. We will make it available to the police... Unfortunately, yesterday the police did not stand with the Hindu citizens... PIs like Sanjay Singh do not listen to the citizens... A large part of the mob came from outside..."

Speaking on the violence, AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan said, "... We condemn every such violence... The Maharashtra government should take action against this. There should be an investigation as to why such violence took place. Some people in the BJP keep spreading hatred... We have been saying that action should be taken against such people... The BJP is diverting attention by raising the 400-year-old issue of Aurangzeb."