The district administration on Tuesday clamped curfew on Chandan Nagar locality in the city after a group clash which left around 35 persons, including 25 jawans and two senior police officials, injured. Violence broke out in the locality after the recovery of a cow carcass from a drain in Ambar Nagar on Tuesday morning.
Enraged over the recovery of the carcass, a large number of people of a particular community blocked the road in Chandan Nagar area. later, members of another community started pelting stones on them, which led to tension in the area, police said. A large posse of police force led by IG Vipin Maheshwari, divisional commissioner Sanjay Dube, district collector Akash Tripathi and other district and police officials rushed to the incident site to take stock of the situation.
The policemen too were attacked when they tried to intervene. In the melee, 35 persons, including 25 police personnel, suffered injuries. Two officers of the ranks of superintendent of police (SP) and additional SP were hurt in the attack while a constable sustained bullet injuries, sources said.
Though police lobbed about 400 teargas shells and cane-charged the protesters, the unruly crowd continued in their illegal activities, forcing the police to open fire, causing injuries to some persons. One of the injured persons who sustained critical injuries has been admitted to M Y hospital. All the schools in the locality were closed and children were escorted back to their houses by the district administration. Initially, the district administration imposed Section 144 of Cr PC, but with no improvement in the position, the administration imposed curfew in Chandan Nagar police station limits around 11 am.
Thereafter, the police started house combing operations in the locality and arrested 20 persons for violating the orders. During the combing operation, police also recovered a box carrying explosives from a car, besides petrol bombs.
During the incident, the miscreants also damaged over 100 vehicles, including some police vehicles. District collector Akash Tripathi described the situation as tense but under control. We have deputed security pickets and police jawans in sensitive areas to ensure that there is no further deterioration in law and order position in the city, the collector said. The district administration has also deputed police jawans in Kagdipura, Tatpatti Bakhal and Rawji Bazar
locality. local BJP MlA Malini Gaud, who visited the locality, held the collector responsible for eruption of violence in the locality. She said the collector should have strengthened security measures in the area, especially in the backdrop of violence over a game of cricket a couple of days back. Gaud said she had briefed the Chief Minister on the situation prevailing in the area.
Meanwhile, the district administration has sealed Chandan Nagar locality and all its entry and exit points leading to Dhar. BJP MP Sumitra Mahajan, expressing grief over the eruption of violence in Chandan Nagar, has appealed to the people to maintain peace and do not fall prey to rumours.
