Nagpur, India: In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the recent riots, police arrested Faizan Khatib, a member of an Islamist outfit, late Wednesday evening. Khatib had been evading capture by staying holed up in his Nagpur residence for the past ten days. Alongside him, another suspect, Shahbaz Qazi, was also taken into custody and the duo has been remanded to police custody for two days starting Thursday.

Authorities claim that Khatib holds radical views and has been instrumental in instigating mobs during the unrest. Khatib originally operated from Akola but returned to his hometown of Nagpur a month ago to celebrate Eid.

The breakthrough in the case came when police reviewed CCTV footage from March 17 at the riot's epicenter in Mahal, located approximately 2 kilometers from the RSS headquarters. This led investigators to identify Khatib as a key suspect in the violent events.

Khatib is the third major arrest in connection with the riots, following the apprehension of Fahim Khan and his mentor, Hamid Engineer, who are already facing charges of rioting, arson, and molestation at the Ganeshpeth police station.

As investigations continue, police are now examining both Khatib and Qazi's cell phones for further evidence linking them to the riots.