Yavat Erupts in Violence Over WhatsApp Post; Pune Police Detain Youth

Yavat village in Pune’s Daund tehsil descended into chaos on Friday afternoon as an irate mob unleashed vandalism and arson, triggered by an allegedly objectionable WhatsApp post by a youth from a minority community. The violence, which saw a motorcycle torched, a bakery damaged, and a mosque vandalized, prompted police to lob teargas shells and resort to a lathi charge to restore order, officials confirmed. The youth, a non-native resident of Sahkar Nagar, has been detained, and investigations are underway to verify the post’s content and intent.

The unrest began around noon when the post, reportedly claiming a Hindu priest raped someone, went viral, inflaming tensions already simmering from a July 26 incident involving the desecration of a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Neelkantheshwar temple. Local activists from the majority community stormed the youth’s residence, vandalizing properties and setting two motorcycles ablaze, leading to the closure of Yavat’s weekly market. Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural) Sandip Singh Gill told PTI that the detained youth, an outsider, sparked the clash in a village divided over “non-native” residents, with both communities opposing external settlers.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, addressing the incident while in Pune, condemned the post as a deliberate attempt to stoke communal discord. “The situation is now under control, and peace prevails. People from both communities are working together to defuse tensions,” he said, vowing strict action against those posting provocative content. Fadnavis clarified that no injuries were reported but emphasized that the cost of damages would be recovered from the perpetrators, echoing his stance on earlier Nagpur riots.

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The violence highlights the volatile role of social media in fueling communal strife, with police identifying over 140 objectionable posts inciting unrest in recent months. Gill appealed for calm, warning against rumor-mongering, while a heavy police presence remains in Yavat to prevent further escalation. The incident has drawn political attention, with NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule urging restraint, amid broader concerns over rising tensions in Maharashtra’s rural areas. As the investigation deepens, authorities face pressure to address underlying communal fault lines and regulate inflammatory online content.

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