At least dozen people, including five police personnel, were injured in fresh incidents in the old city of Hyderabad for the second consecutive day on Friday.
The police resorted to firing in the air at three places and lathicharged the rampaging youth in the affected areas. They stepped up bandobust and under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, banning the assembly of five or more persons, in some police station limits in the western parts of the city.
There was lull in violence from Thursday night to Friday afternoon. Violence broke out soon after the funeral procession of Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen leader Mohammed Ghouse (55) on Friday. Ghouse succumbed to severe injuries sustained in the violence on Thursday.
Carrying black flags and shouting anti-police slogans, scores of youth participated in the funeral procession. Shops and establishments, including hotels and cinema halls, remained closed in the affected areas.
An automobile workshop was set on fire. The rampaging mob also set 15 scooters afire near a branch of the State Bank of Hyderabad. A portion of the building housing the SBH branch was also damaged in the incident.
Miscreants ransacked several small shops and pelted stones at houses of people belonging to another community. Heavy stone-pelting was reported in Aghapura, Afzalsagar, Mallepally and Bazarghat areas.
On Thursday, a hotel, a confectionary shop and 10 houses were attacked and ransacked by a group belonging to a rival community after an altercation at a hotel.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajjab Ali had opened three rounds of fire in the air to disperse the clashing groups.
Mohammed Ghouse, who had intervened to separate the clashing groups in Mallepally area, sustained severe head injury after being hit by a stone and succumbed to injuries in Owaisi Hospital on Thursday evening.
Director General of Police Pervaram Ramulu said action would be taken against Habibnagar Circle Inspector K M Madhu for failing to prevent Ghouse's death even after being present on the spot with a posse of policemen.
In retaliation to Ghouse's death, fresh violence broke out in Nampally and adjoining areas in which seven government buses and a textile shop were damaged and a scooter was set afire on Thursday night. Police opened four rounds of fire to scare away the miscreants.
Police Quick Response Teams, Rapid Action Force of the Central Reserve Police Force and three companies of Andhra Pradesh Special Police have been deployed in the sensitive spots.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced a judicial probe into incidents and asserted that the government would put down communal violence with an iron hand. Naidu said the probe would also cover allegations against Circle Inspector Madhu.
"Hyderabad has gained world-wide recognition for Information Technology and it is attracting lot of investments in industry and other sectors. Many people have got jobs due to the increasing economic activity here. We have maintained communal harmony all these years and we won't allow anyone to disturb communal peace in the city. Law violators won't be spared," Naidu said.
Earlier, Naidu visited the affected areas. As he came to Mallepally area, accompanied by Home Minister T Devender Goud and senior police officials, an irate crowd mobbed him shouting slogans against the police.
He also visited the house of Mohammed Ghouse and consoled the bereaved family members.
Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner M V Krishna Rao said that 15 persons have been taken into custody in connection with the killing of Mohamed Ghouse.
© 2024 Rediff.com -