KOLHAPUR: An objectionable post of social media triggered violence between two groups at Pusesavali village, about 100km from Kolhapur in the Khatau tehsil of neighbouring Satara district of Maharashtra, on Sunday night.
The clashes left several people injured as shops and houses were set on fire while a place of worship was also attacked before the police moved in to bring the situation under control late in the night. The village is located 25km from Karad city, a major urban center in Satara district.
On Monday morning, the situation in and around the village was "peaceful" as Satara district collector Jitendra Dudi ordered a shutdown of internet services and banned assembly of four or more people at any place across the district, as a precautionary measure under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The district police appealed to the people not to believe any rumour.
Movement of vehicles in and out of the village was restricted from various check points as Satara Superintendent of Police (SP) Samir Shaikh and senior police and district officials visited the village to take stock of the situation.
The Satara SP office issued a brief statement confirming that the violence was triggered by an objectional post on social media and was swiftly brought under control. The statement further made an appeal to the people not to believe any rumours.
The district collector and the SP were expected to brief the media later in the day about the injuries and damage to property caused by the violence as well as arrests made from Satara and some pockets of neibhbouring Sangli district.
Satara’s Nationalist Congress Party MP Shrinivas Patil posted a message on social media appealing to the people to maintain calm while BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Udayan Raje-Bhosale, who visited the village on Sunday night, also appealed to the people to maintain peace and let the police take action against those involved in the violence.
"We should not take any steps, which will harm the social harmony of the district. I am in touch with the police administration, and they are taking necessary steps." Patil said in his message.
