Maharashtra violence: Four senior ADGs sent to various cities to avoid flare-up, Section 144 imposed in Pune

Against the backdrop of recent incidents of violence in Amravati and other cities in Maharashtra, the state police headquarters has deputed four senior Additional Director General (ADG) rank officers to sensitive police ranges and cities to ensure that there is no flare-up, a senior official said on Sunday. In the police department, the police ranges are usually headed by an Inspector General of Police (IGP) rank officer. The ADG is one rank senior to the IGP, the official explained. He told PTI that the decision to depute four senior ADGs in various police ranges was taken by Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey after a meeting between top police officers and state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil. The top police brass believed that ADG-rank officers would use their expertise in policing in effectively maintaining the communal harmony in the sensitive areas, sources said. The Pune district administration on Sunday imposed section 144 of the CrPC in view of the stone-pelting that took place in some parts of Maharashtra recently post protests on Friday against the violence in Tripura in late October. The order, issued by Collector Rajesh Deshmukh, prohibits people from disseminating messages and posts on social media platforms that could create communal rifts among groups, as well as holding meetings etc, an official said. “It will be in force from the midnight of November 14 till November 20. As per the order, spreading messages etc through social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Whatsapp, which could create a communal rift in the society, is prohibited. Holding a meeting or assembly of five or more people, putting up hoardings and posters that could create communal tension are prohibited,” he informed. Violators will be prosecuted under section 188 of IPC, the official added. On Saturday, a curfew was clamped in Amravati city in east Maharashtra for four days and Internet services were shut down after a mob hurled stones at shops during a Bandh (shut-down) allegedly organised by local BJP workers in protest against the rallies organised by Muslim organisations the day before to condemn the recent violence in Tripura, police had said. On Friday, stone-pelting was reported during rallies taken out by Muslim organisations in Amravati, Nanded, Malegaon (in Nashik district), Washim and Yavatmal. Accordingly, ADG (Law and Order), Maharashtra, Rajinder Singh reached Amravati by road on Saturday evening. He will camp there to maintain law and order, another senior police official said. The Amravati police range covers Amravati, Akola, Buldana, Yavatmal and Washim districts. ADG (Traffic) Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay has been asked to monitor the situation in Nagpur city, and Nagpur and Gadchiroli police Ranges, he said. The Nagpur police range covers Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara and Chandrapur districts while Gadchiroli and Gondia districts come under the Gadchiroli range. Gadchiroli DIG, Sandip Patil, has been holding the additional charge as Amravati city police commissioner. ADG (Training) Sanjay Kumar reached Aurangabad city in the Marathwada region where he will monitor the situation in Aurangabad city, and Aurangabad and Nanded police ranges. Aurangabad Rural, Jalna, Beed and Osmanabad districts come under the Aurangabad police range while Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded and Latur districts fall under the Nanded police range. The Nashik police range covers Nashik, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Dhule and Ahmednagar districts.