None of the101 people arrested so far for the mob attack on three men in Maharashtra'sPalghar district last week are Muslims, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh saidtoday. Mr Deshmukh hit out at the BJP-led opposition in the state for adding acommunal twist to the horrific incident and confirmed the case had been givento Maharashtra CID (criminal investigation department).

"101people have been arrested so far and let me tell you not a single one arrestedis Muslim. So don't give this incident a communal colour," the ministersaid, speaking via Facebook to maintain social distancing during thecoronavirus outbreak.

"Somepeople are seeing 'mungerilal ke haseen sapne' (a pipedream). This is not thetime to play politics but to fight (the) coronavirus (outbreak)collectively," he added.

The brutalassault, which took place only 125 kilometres from Mumbai, was likely theresult of mistaken identity, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday; MrThackeray also warned against communalising the incident.

A tweet fromthe Chief Minister's Office read: "Those trying to inflame passions, mustdesist from doing so. There is no Hindu-Muslim angle or communalism in thisattack. Two policemen were suspended immediately".

Shockingvisuals of the attack emerged online last week in which angry residents ofGadchinchale village, armed with sticks and stones, attacked three men, one ofwhom was 70-years-old.

A police teamtrying to restore order was also attacked and some were injured. Two of thethree killed were sadhus, the third was the driver of the car in which theywere travelling.

Other videosshowed villagers attacking a police car, shattering its windows and windshield,and pushing it till it rolls over.

Police havesaid there were rumours of thieves taking advantage of the lockdown to breakthe chain of transmission of the novel coronavirus. According to DistrictCollector Kailash Shinde, there were also rumours of people abducting childrenfrom the neighbourhood.

TheMaharashtra government has ordered a high-level probe into the attack.

The deceasedhave been identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), SushilgiriMaharaj (35) and Nilesh Telgade (30).