15 more arrested for Pusesawali violence, Net curbs continue

Kolhapur: Satara police have arrested 15 more people for their alleged involvement in Sunday’s violence at Pusesawali village. The violence, which broke out following an objectionable social media post, claimed one life and left at least 10 people injured.The court ordered judicial custody of the newly arrested people till September 16. So far, 39 people have been arrested.The situation in the village was tense even on Wednesday. The internet remained shut and CrPC section 144, which prohibits gathering of people, was still in force across the district. Deployment of police and personnel of other forces was also in place. A state home secretary-level meeting, to take a call on whether to revoke internet suspension or not, is expected on Thursday morning.Additional SP Bapusaheb Bangar is monitoring the overall situation. On Tuesday, the village gram panchayat had requested the traders to open their shops as the village is a major trade hub of the region. The traders, however, did not open their shops. According to the police, some local residents have been arrested, and people from their community have declined to open the shops claiming that their sons and relatives were falsely arrested. Meanwhile, right-wing outfits in Satara and Kolhapur have submitted petitions to respective district authorities to not take action against a leader of a political party, stating that he merely went to Pusesawali to complain about the objectionable posts. The cops have booked the leader for conspiracy, but he has not been arrested yet.