By Snehal Mutha
Communal tensions erupt after mob clashed over a social media post violence in the Yavat village of Maharashtra’s Pune district on Friday (August 1, 2025). Pune Rural Police detained the person, who updated the status concerning an alleged rape incident in Madhya Pradesh.
According to police, Yavat was peaceful after desecration of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue incident, in which two individuals were taken into custody. “On Friday, the situation erupts over a WhatsApp status. We have taken one person in the custody and start with the process of filing a case,” Special Inspector General (IG) for Kolhapur, Sunil Phulari, adding Section 163 has been imposed and issued a warning to those trying to incite mobs.
“The stones were hurled on the glass windows of cars. Two car windows were damaged, one motorcycle was also torched, one bakery also damaged. One religious prayer place is also damaged to some extent. It was immediately controlled by the local Police officials,” said IG Phulari.
The police deployed SRPF and additional police forces to maintain law and order. During the chaos, the two-wheelers and four-wheelers were vandalised.
Police also shut down the weekly market in Yavat and did punchnamas (documentation) of damages caused in the incident. The situation is under control and peaceful. Almost all routine affairs are now normalised, informed police.
IG Phulari calling the incident “sudden” stated that strict action will be taken against the few local individuals and outsiders, who were involved.
While speaking to media, SP Sandip Gill stated the suspects involved in the vandalism and stone-pelting are yet to be detained.
An eyewitness Sameer Sayyed (39) underlined that after the villagers raised objection over the status, the people from both the community visited the accused house and questioned him why you posted it when things are sensitive.
Mr. Sayyed, a local businessman, called the incident pre-planned, saying, Police just took him the custody, and, in the meanwhile, mob started coming from everywhere causing the violence.
This story was originally published in thehindu.com. Read the full story here.
