New Delhi: A road accident described in reports as “minor” snowballed into a communal clash in Gujarat’s Vadodara city late on Sunday, April 17. Police have arrested 22 people.
A Karelibaug police station official told news agency PTI that the clash broke out following a road accident involving two-wheelers belonging to people from two communities in the city’s Raopura locality.
The matter escalated and in no time people from two communities gathered and hurled stones at each other in the Karelibaug locality, neighbouring the Raopura area.
Crowds allegedly threw stones, vandalised a shrine and damaged two autorickshaws and two two-wheelers, police claimed on Monday, April 18. Indian Express has reported that some parked handcarts belonging to street vendors were allegedly destroyed as well.
Three persons were allegedly injured, Additional Commissioner of Police Chirag Koradia told reporters.
Two separate FIRs were registered at Raopura and Karelibaug police stations for the accident and rioting respectively.
Of the 22 arrested, 19 have been held against rioting charges and three in connection with the road accident involving two-wheelers.
Various sections of the Indian Penal Code for rioting, unlawful assembly, holding deadly weapons, defiling the place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class have been invoked in the Karelibaug FIR against a group of named and unidentified accused.
“All the 19 persons named in the Karelibaug FIR for rioting were arrested during the combing operation carried out last night. Efforts are on to nab the unidentified accused,” Koradia said.
Also, out of 8-10 accused against whom an FIR was lodged at the Raopura police station related to the road accident, three were nabbed, he said.
Inspector V.K. Desai of Karelibaug police station told Indian Express that it did not appear as if the temple vandalising action was pre-planned.
Security has been beefed up in the area and the situation is under control now, he added.
“Two companies of the State Reserve Police (SRP) personnel have been deployed in sensitive areas and patrolling increased under all police stations. The situation is under control,” the SP said.
Commissioner of Police,Vadodara City, Shamsher Singh, also released a video message asking people not to “believe in rumours” and insisting that the situation was under control.
On April 10, a Ram Navami procession was allegedly pelted with stones in Khambhat town of Gujarat. In the ensuing violence, one person was killed and several were injured.
(With PTI inputs)