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Shaikh Salim Abbas, who is an associate of deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal and a member of the local peace committee, has been arrested by the police as the prime suspect behind the recent riots in Nashik city.
The arrest comes on the eve of the state-level conference of the Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad (founded by Bhujbal) scheduled to held in Nashik on February 11. Abbas, who had absconded after the riots, surrendered at the Bhadrakali police station last night. He has been booked under sections 143,147,148,149 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code. He is known for his proximity to Bhujbal. He is also the Nashik district president of the Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad's minorities cell and vice-president of the Nashik city unit of the NCP. He is also the chairperson of a co-operative credit society.
Abbas was earlier the district president of the Muslim Youth Council of India. He broke away from the organisation last year to form the Indian Muslim Youth Council, of which he is the state president. The district president of the council is the deputy mayor of Nashik, Ghulam Shaikh. He is also an office-bearer of a local union of autorickshaw owners and drivers. Senior police officials said that Abbas would be immediately dropped from the local peace committee. They pointed out that nobody with any kind of criminal record would be appointed on the peace committee. Abbas had allegedly taken the lead in provoking Muslims to violence after a civic squad attempted to demolish a portion of an unauthorised mosque in Rajiv Nagar on January 30. He had been reportedly named by several persons as one of the instigators of the riots. His arrest has cast a shadow over the Samata Parishad, which is to be attended by NCP1eaders Sharad Pawar, PA Sangama, Tariq Anwar, Bhujbal, Ramdas Athavale, Vasant Chavan, Madhukar Pichad, Keshartai Kshirsagar and Shivajirao Shendge.
It may be recalled that the city
was paralysed for four days following violence and arson. The riots had
left about 50 wounded and hundreds of vehicles and shops damaged. The police
had to impose curfew in the riot-affected areas and open fire in which
two persons were injured.
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