Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A 24-year-old man was killed and three others injured in a violent clash between two groups in Khandala village, Vaijapur tehsil, on Thursday, reportedly triggered by a long-standing dispute over objectionable social media posts. Police have arrested five suspects and are actively searching for two others still at large.
The deceased, identified as Moin Shah (24), succumbed to fatal injuries during the attack. The incident escalated tensions in the area, with locals and Shah’s relatives staging a protest outside the Vaijapur sub-district hospital. The grieving crowd refused to permit a post-mortem or accept the body until all accused individuals were brought into custody.
Despite appeals from local authorities — including police inspector Satyajit Taitwale, sub-divisional magistrate Arun Jarhad, tehsildar Sunil Sawant, and community leaders like former deputy municipal chief Akil Shaikh, Altaf Baba, and Zuber Choush — the protesters held their ground for most of the day.
It was only after former MP Imtiaz Jaleel intervened that the deadlock was broken. After discussions with Superintendent of Police Vinay Kumar Rathod, Jaleel assured the crowd that any negligence or delay in the investigation would be met with a larger protest, which he himself would lead. Following this assurance, the crowd dispersed and the autopsy was conducted late in the evening.
SP Rathod, who has remained in Vaijapur since the incident, confirmed that the investigation is proceeding on priority. “We are pursuing all leads and expect more arrests in the coming days,” he said.
According to police, tensions between the rival groups had been simmering for months, largely fueled by inflammatory exchanges on social media. The latest provocation reportedly triggered Thursday’s attack, which turned deadly. Of the three injured victims, two sustained stab wounds and are undergoing treatment.
An FIR has been filed against seven individuals under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including murder, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt with weapons, rioting, unlawful assembly, and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace.
The five accused currently in custody have been identified as:
- Shekhar Laxman Nannaware (25)
- Nandu Popat Janrao (29)
- Shubham Kailas Jadhav (25)
- Amit Ramesh Pawar (30)
- Kunal Prabhakar Jejurkar (28)
All are residents of Khandala village.
Authorities have increased security in the area to prevent any further escalation, while efforts continue to apprehend the remaining two suspects. The case has once again highlighted the dangers of online hostility spilling over into real-world violence.
