Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal announced Tuesday that over 50 individuals have been taken into custody and five FIRs registered following Monday evening’s violence in central Nagpur.

The clashes erupted amid rumors that a community’s holy book was burned during a right-wing protest demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, roughly 500 kilometers away. Speaking to reporters, Singal said, “The police have taken more than 50 persons into custody and registered five FIRs at various police stations in connection with the violence.”

The unrest saw mobs pelting stones at police in the Mahal area—near the RSS headquarters—prompting tear gas and baton charges, with violence spilling into Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, and Hansapuri. Several vehicles were torched, and nine people, including three policemen, were injured.

Nagpur Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, after a review with Singal and the district collector, blamed social media for inflaming tensions. “Social media was used to vitiate the atmosphere,” he said, urging the opposition not to politicize the issue and appealing for communal harmony.

Bawankule defended the police, stating, “There was no failure on part of the home department, as police stood as a shield between the Hindu and Muslim communities, wherein several policemen also got injured.” He noted the situation remains tense but peaceful, with heavy police deployment ensuring control. The Bajrang Dal-led protest, which burned an effigy, sparked the chaos, though claims of holy book desecration remain unverified.