The city police on Friday filed chargesheet against 57 persons in connection with the Azad Maidan riots that rocked Maharashtra in August. Of the 57 persons, 12 are in jail while the rest have secured bail.
“We have filed a 3,384-page chargesheet in the FIR of the Azad Maidan rioting that includes statements of 851 witnesses. Of these, 736 are statements belong to government servants, including policemen, 86 citizens and 29 journalists. Forty seven panchnamas are also a part of the chargesheet,” Joint Commissioner of Police Himanshu Roy said.
However, the police have not chargesheeted five persons, who delivered speeches during the riots, saying the riots were not triggered by provocative speeches.
“Our investigations revealed that there was no connection between the violence and the speeches. In fact none of the accused even heard the speeches. The violence was pre-planned and started independently,” the police officials said.
Two persons were killed and over 100 persons were injured in the violence that broke out at a rally staged in protest against the atrocities on Muslims in Assam and Myanmar which was organised by Madina-Tul-ilm supported by Raza Academy at Azad Maidan on August 11. Aided by surveillance videos and news footages, the police began arrests on August 11 itself.