Social media post leads to stone pelting in Osmanabad, 7 police officials injured

PUNE A group of 40-42 identified and around 150 unidentified people were booked for attempted murder and assault of police officials by pelting stones at them. A crowd gathered at a junction in Osmanabad on Tuesday in response to a social media post made against Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

The crowd had gathered in the Vijay chowk area of Osmanabad late on Tuesday night, the same day when the post was first made, according to the police.

“All due legal action will be taken. Maintaining harmony and order is the top priority,” said Neeva Jain, superintendent of Osmanabad police.

“The post instantly went viral. Then there were posts made in response to it as well. They came to the police station demanding that the ones who made it be arrested. When the person was nowhere to be found, they gathered at the junction and started pelting stones. One officer and six staff members were injured. One of them has a head injury but they are all stable now, no severe injuries,” said police inspector Suresh Budhwant of the city police station of Osmanabad police.

A police vehicle, two-wheelers, and autorickshaws parked in the junction were damaged in the stone-pelting. While the officer was an assistant police inspector, the others were constables who were deployed to control the crowd.

A case under Sections 307, 332, 333, 353, rioting, 186 of Indian Penal Code along with relevant Sections of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act was registered at the city police station.