Maharashtra CM: Rioters to Pay for Nagpur Violence Damages

 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that the cost of properties damaged during the riot will be borne by the rioters. If they don't pay, their properties will be confiscated and sold to recoup the expenses. 

Fadnavis made the statement in a press conference. A comprehensive examination of both video recordings and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage was conducted, ultimately identifying a total of 104 individuals who participated in the riotous behavior. As a direct consequence of this identification process, legal proceedings were initiated against 92 of those individuals. Within this group of 92 facing legal action, a subset of 12 individuals were classified as juveniles, indicating they were not of legal adult age at the time of the offenses. 

The evidence gathered from the video materials played a crucial role in the subsequent legal responses to the riot..

He also ensured Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit would go ahead as scheduled, indifferent to the turbulence that erupted on Monday in downtown Nagpur. 

"The loss of the property will be recovered from the rioters, and if they don't pay up, we'll confiscate and auction their belongings to recover the losses," Fadnavis said.

He assured that tough action will be taken against the perpetrators who attacked police personnel, assuring that his government will not stop until all those responsible are caught and dealt with accordingly.

Fadnavis said that it is too early to speculate any foreign hand or link to Bangladesh in the riots, as investigations are underway.

He explained that, while the episode cannot be termed an "intelligence failure," it is possible to do better with intelligence collection.

He further mentioned that rioters attacked female police officers with stones but assured that they were not attacked in any other manner.

As for the investigations, he said that there is no evidence of foreign intervention or Bangladeshi connections, and he added, "There is no political motive behind the violence."