Nagpur: In a rare but telling move that puts the spotlight squarely on local policing, Commissioner of Police Ravinder Singal has ordered a high-level inquiry into the night-long violence that shook Gurudeo Nagar and Buland Darwaza areas under Nandanvan Police Station limits in the early hours of Tuesday, raising serious questions over police preparedness, response time, and preventive action.
The inquiry will be conducted by an officer of Additional Commissioner of Police rank, indicating the gravity of the incident and the apparent dissatisfaction of the top brass with the handling of the situation by the local police. The focus of the probe will be on the role and response of Nandanvan Police Station staff before, during, and after the violence.
Gold Rate
04 Feb 2026
In a significant administrative development late Tuesday evening, Police Inspector Vinayak Koli was shifted out of Nandanvan Police Station, a move widely seen as the first visible fallout of the incident. While police officials maintained that the transfer was routine, sources indicated that it followed serious internal deliberations over the station’s failure to prevent the escalation of violence.
So far, seven persons have been arrested in connection with the riots, including notorious criminal Abhijit Shelke, who has a murder case and several other serious offences registered against him. The other arrested accused have been identified as Hrishikesh Waghmare, Shivam Thakur, Yash Todase, and Akash Yeole. All the accused were produced before a court and remanded in police custody till February 7.
According to police, Thakur, Yeole, and Todase were directly involved in acts of arson, including setting ablaze a café owned by Faizan Shaikh. A car was also torched during the violence, causing extensive damage to property and spreading panic in the densely populated locality.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the violence was triggered by an alleged public nuisance at a late-night party inside a café in Nandanvan. What reportedly began as a minor altercation between two groups over loud music and behaviour rapidly spiralled into large-scale clashes around 1 am. The speed and intensity with which the situation deteriorated has prompted senior officers to question why preventive measures were not taken despite the presence of known criminals and the area’s history of tension.
Commissioner Singal, expressing dissatisfaction over the handling of the incident, specifically ordered the inquiry to examine whether there were lapses in intelligence gathering, delayed police response, failure to disperse the crowd at an early stage, or negligence in enforcing law and order. The probe will also look into whether the police had prior information about the late-night gathering and if standard operating procedures were followed.
Police officials stated that investigations are also underway to ascertain whether the violence was spontaneous or had a larger, organised angle. The role of other suspects, possible instigators, and any external involvement is being examined. Authorities have assured that strict action will be taken against both the perpetrators and any officials found responsible for lapses.
The findings of the inquiry are expected to determine accountability and could lead to further departmental action, making the incident a crucial test case for policing standards in the city.
