WITHOUT any apparent reason, incidents of stone-pelting and group clashes between members of two communities continued to take place in the city, keeping the police on tenterhooks.
On Thursday night, Panigate police arrested 19 people from Ekta Nagar slums in connection with a clash between two communities. Police also seized swords, daggers and iron pipes from them. Police are unable to understand the causes behind the continuing stone- pelting and violence. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Wabang Jamir said that in Ekta Nagar both sides started stoning each other simultaneously after a Harijan’s autorickshaw was upturned by a Muslim without any apparent reason.
PI Bhagirathsinh Jadeja said that each group claimed that the other group provoked the clash. ‘‘People appear to be suffering from a mania which is causing this unending chain of stone throwing and clashes’’, said Jadeja. Residents of Suleimani Mohalla near Gendigate alleged that Gausia Complex was being stoned for the last two days from across the lane.
Though they did not identify anyone, they alleged that the stones were being thrown from an akhada in Lalwada Mohalla opposite their building. A resident of Gausia Complex, Naseem Sheikh, lodged a complaint in the Wadi Police Station in this connection.
Incidents of stoning were also reported from Golwad Mohalla of Fatehpura area on Friday.