Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Monday appealed for peace in Nashik, which continues to remain tense after widespread protests against a juvenile allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl. Fadnavis assured the public that the case will be tried in a fast-track court. Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who is also the guardian minister of Nashik, said senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam will handle the case, India Today reported.
A 17-year-old was taken into custody on Sunday for allegedly raping the girl in Nashik's Talegaon village. Nashik Superintendent of Police Ankush Shinde said a case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Fadnavis had also assured the girl's family of government help.
Commuters were stranded for hours on Sunday after protestors blocked highways passing through Nashik. They set buses and vehicles on fire. According to The Times of India, villagers claimed that violence broke out after Mahajan alleged that the incident was an attempted rape and not a rape. Others said the protests turned violent as the girl belonged to the dominant Maratha community. Seven people were arrested for pelting stones and targeting police vehicles, Hindustan Times reported.
Schools and colleges remained closed on Monday and mobile internet services have been blocked as a preventive measure, ANI reported. This is reportedly the first time mobile internet has been suspended in a major city in Maharashtra.
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