Curfew was imposed on Friday in an area here following an incident of a crowd, protesting the violence in Assam and Myanmar, attacked a business neighbourhood here. Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel were rushed to the spot. Residents of the area, protesting the damage to their property by the crowd, took to the streets in large numbers. They demanded a five-day curfew.
The crowd, assembling after attending prayers on the last Friday of the Muslim month of Ramzan, pelted stones and bricks at shops and cars, causing damage to property. According to an eyewitness, some in the crowd attempted to vandalise shops. At least a dozen vehicles and shops were reportedly damaged. Soon shop-owners downed the shutters and the streets were strewn with bricks and stones and broken glass. District Magistrate Anil Kumar rushed to the spot, along with senior police officials, and requested the locals to maintain peace. Mr. Kumar, who was wearing a protective gear, tried calming down the protesting crowd. The crowd, however, refused to budge till late evening, and demanded the implementation of a five-day curfew. Police lathicharged sections of crowds. Some residents said the police watched from a distance during the stone-pelting.
There have been three incidents of communal violence in the State since the new government came to power in March.
Correction
A typo error was corrected in this article on August 20, 2012
