Author: A Chalomumbai Correspondent
Publication: www.chalomumbai.com
Date: May 13, 2002
URL: http://www.chalomumbai.com/asp/article.asp?cat_id=29&art_id=24371&cat_code=2F574841545F535F4F4E5F4D554D4241492F5441415A415F4B4841424152
Two persons were killed, one in
police firing, and at least 53 injured including a police superintendent,
as communal clashes broke out in tribal dominated Nandurbar in Maharashtra
today compelling authorities to impose curfew in the township.
A minor tiff during a game of playing
cards in Kali Kasjid locality near Chandsavli dargah last night sparked
off the violence between two communities this morning, Chief Minister Vilasrao
Deshmukh told reporters in Mumbai.
Following altercation between one
Bhimsingh Ratan Bhil and his friends Shiraddin Shaikh and Salaluddin Shaikh,
a mob gathered in the area and indulged in heavy stone throwing and arson
this morning, reports from Nasik said.
The mob also hacked to death one
person identified as Subhash Agarwal and torched his body, they said adding
the rioters pelted stones at police that had rushed to the spot, injuring
18 of them including DSP C N Kumbhar.
Police then opened fire to disperse
violent mob in which one person identified as Yogesh Rathod, was killed.
At least 83 persons have been arrested in this connection, police said.
Deshmukh described the situation
as 'tense but under control' saying curfew has been clamped in the area
and two companies of State Reserve Police Force have been posted there
to prevent any untoward incident.
To a query, whether communal violence
in bordering Gujarat had prompted the riots, the chief minister said 'it
will not be proper to infer on those lines'.
At least seven hutments were set
on fire by arsonists, who also indulged in heavy stone pelting damaging
shops and vehicles, police said.
The injured cops have been admitted
to Nandurbar Civil Hospital. The injured also include two journalists,
who were covering the violence.
Deshmukh said minister of state
for home Manikrao Thakre, local MLA and minister of state for general administration
department Dr Vijay Gavit, state DGP Subhash Malhotra have rushed to the
spot.
