FOURTEEN rounds were fired and six teargas shells lobbed by police and the Special Reserve Police Force (SRPF) to disperse rioting mobs in different parts of the city on Friday, the last day of 10-day long Muharram.
In all, 117 persons were arrested on charges of rioting and two trucks carrying stones and bricks seized. No one was been reported injured in police firing, said Police Commissioner Deen Dayal Tuteja. While six rounds were fired at Sarasiya talao in Yaqutpura, eight rounds were fired in Ladwada mohallo.
Three persons, including the driver of Joint Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Pritam Singh Thakur and a resident of Sarasiya talao, were injured in stone-pelting. The third person injured is photojournalist Kirti Padya, who was overpowered by processionists and assaulted with stones. All the three were treated at the Jamnabai Hospital.
Two scooters belonging to cops were also torched and the windshield of Thakur’s official car damaged in stone-throwing. The incident, according to Tuteja, took place around 4.30 pm when tazia immersion was in progress.
Tuteja said that some miscreants threw stones during tazia procession near Sarasiya talao and this could have triggered violence. Stones were also thrown on a few temples along the bank of Sarasiya talao, but no idols have been damaged, said Tuteja.
Tuteja said that while returning in two trucks around 6.30 pm, processionists pelted stones on passers-by in Mehta Pol area. However, all of them were nabbed by police at Mandvi Gate. He said that the situation was tense, but under control. Tight security arrangements have been made in sensitive localities with Rapid Action Force personnel deployed at hypersensitive points in Wadi, Mandvi and Yaqutpura areas. Immersion of tazias was over by 7.30 pm, he said.
Stone-pelting was also reported from Ladwada mohallo. SRPF personnel fired eight rounds to disperse mobs of different communities. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anil Kumar Pratham said exchange of stones was reported from Ranawas mohallo opposite Panigate police station as well.Meanwhile, Moharrum passed off peacefully in the sensitive Panchmahals district, claimed Special Inspector General of Police (Vadodara range) Deepak Swaroop.
He said that while tazia immersion was over by 6.30 pm in other districts, it continued well beyond 8.30 pm in Bharuch.