Author: A Staff Reporter
Publication: Afternoon Despatch
& Courier
Date: May 8, 2004
URL: http://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=fromthepress&subsection=inbombay&xfile=May2004_inbombay_standard3241
Heavy deployment of the State Reserve
Police (SRP) has been made at Cheetah Camp where around 23 persons, including
eight policemen, were injured when members belonging to two different communities
clashed for two successive days, yesterday.
Heavy deployment of the State Reserve
Police (SRP) has been made at Cheetah Camp where around 23 persons, including
eight policemen, were injured when members belonging to two different communities
clashed for two successive days, yesterday.
Trouble started on Thursday night
when a group of around 300 people (South Indians) took out a religious
procession late in the night (around 11.30 p.m.). They were taking the
deity in a 'palkhi' while beating drums. As the procession was passing
by a mosque, members belonging to the other community took objection to
the beating of the noisy drums. A scuffle ensued and the riot followed.
Police intervened and resorted to
lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Eight policemen along with people from
both the communities suffered injuries in the melee. Police later arrested
14 persons from both the sides, charging them with rioting and assaulting
public servants on duty. The situation was precipitated after the idol
could not be immersed. Trouble erupted again yesterday when members belonging
to a particular community took over the entire road to offer their weekly
prayer, outside the mosque. This was done in protest of last night's alleged
police inaction. They attacked the police party when the latter tried to
clear the road. Again police had to resort to lathi charge and arrest a
few. The entire Cheetah Camp passed a tense day amid a forced peace made
due to the presence of columns of SRP and Riot Control Police (RCP).
Joint commissioner of police, Dr.
Satyapal Singh, who is presently holding the charge of Law and Order, said
that the life was getting back to normalcy. However, the deployment of
policemen would continue till some more time. Prohibitory order has been
clamped in the entire area.
