Communal clash in Jodhpur: 51 arrested after stones hurled at cops, Section 144 imposed
Jodhpur: A communal violence erupted in a locality in the Soorsagar area here over the construction of a gate in an eidgah, police said on Saturday. Two police officers among several people got injured in the clash. Fifty-one people have been arrested so far in connection with the Friday night violence, Police Commissioner Rajendra Singh said, adding that prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 were imposed in areas under six police stations. Jodhpur West DCP Rajesh Kumar Yadav said the clash began Friday night over constructing a gate in the backside of an eidgah near Rajaram Circle in Soorsagar. The tension escalated and some people pelted stones, injuring two police officers.
The residents of the locality opposed the gate construction on the backside of the Eidgah saying that it would increase the movement of people in that area. According to police, the construction began on Friday evening. The subsequent confrontation turned violent later with stone-pelting, arson and vandalism. "A shop and a tractor were set on fire while a jeep was vandalised," a senior police officer said. DCP Yadav said the police dispersed people to their homes by using batons and fired 4-5 rounds of tear gas shells. While charging at the crowd, police had to face a barrage of stones hurled at them, which for a moment blocked their advancement. A brief peace was also worked out by the police with the help of senior members from both communities but sudden stone-pelting turned the situation tense again.
According to police, stones were thrown from houses in the areas including Vyapariyon ka Mohalla, Ambon ka Bagh and Subhash Chowk. Efforts are on to identify the houses from where stones were hurled at the police when they tried to disperse the mob, they said. The police commissioner said that the situation was under control and police have been deployed in the entire area. Two FIRs were filed based on complaints from both sides. "We have imposed CrPC Section 144 and arrested 51 people so far,” he said. Police said people from both sides have been taken into custody and teams are still raiding houses in the locality to apprehend suspects. The police's side has filed another FIR under several provisions of law, including perpetrating violence, causing interference in the government's work, damaging public property, disturbing communal harmony and rioting, they said.