Tension in B C Road: 11 injured in stone pelting

01 January 2007

Tension prevailed near B C Road on Sunday for some time after some youths belonging to a particular community pelted stones at the Shobayathre being taken out as a part of Virat Hindu Samajotsava.
According to the police, the Shobayathre was about to begin when a group of persons burst crackers for which some youths belonging to other community raised objections. When they were engaged in a verbal duel, some miscreants pelted stones at the group. While Hindu youths claimed that Muslims pelted stones, Muslim youths claimed that Hindus pelted stones. Seven persons were injured in the melee. They included Prashanth Shetty, Jnanesh, Jayaprakash, Narayan, Sunil, Naveen and Ashok Rai. Among the seven, Prashanth, Sunil and Naveen have been admitted to hospital. Though police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, another group of people assaulted two persons going in a car and an auto, during the procession. The miscreants also damaged the vehicles. The car belonged to a certain Nazeer while the auto belonged to Zakaria.
Meanwhile, when the processionists were returning home near Bantwal, yet another group of persons pelted stones following which two more persons suffered injuries.
Two persons identified as Naushad and Abdulla have been taken into custody. Further investigations are on.
Superintendent of Police B Dayanand, Additional SP Lokesh Kumar and Assistant SP Dr Harsha are camping at B C Road.
(courtesy mangalorean.com)