Tension gripped the cities of Sri Dungargarh and Bhilwara in Rajasthan since Friday night after the occurrence of separate incidents of communal tension in the two cities.
In Sri Dungargarh in Bikaner district an incident of communal clash was reported on Friday night when groups from two communities collided while they were undertaking their individual religious processions. The clash began over loud music being used by one group and soon the people from both communities began pelting stones.
Police force was deployed after violence broke in Sri Dungargarh. Some shops were looted, few others were set ablaze after which the police resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.
Bikaner district collector Punam said that arrests were made on Friday night and Saturday, and an indefinite curfew had been imposed in the city. Over 50 arrests had been made till Saturday evening, Ms. Punam said.
In Bhilwara, at a distance of about 430 kilometres from Sri Dungargarh, the situation remained tense after the alleged killing of 20-year-old Islamuddin on Friday night. On Saturday, around 500 Muslims collected in the hospital where Islamuddin’s body was kept for post-mortem and prohibited the authorities from sending the body for post-mortem until the suspected persons were arrested, a source in the Bhilwara police station said.
On Saturday, an FIR was registered in the Bhilwara police station by Islamuddin’s family, Bhilwara district Collector Tina Kumar said.
On Saturday evening Ms Kumar said to told The Hindu , “The situation has been brought under control and Islamuddin’s body will now be sent for a post-mortem. However, Section 144 [of the Criminal Procedure Code] remains imposed [in Bhilwara] and internet services will remain suspended for 24 hours.”
