The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Communal flare-up in A.P. town: 3 persons killed

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Saturday, Oct 11, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Communal flare-up in A.P. town: 3 persons killed

S. Harpal Singh

ADILABAD: Three persons were killed and 15 others injured when communal violence broke out in Bhainsa town of Adilabad district on Friday afternoon. The flare-up was marked by arson and a rash of stabbings.

Around 20 shops and 10 vehicles were set afire by rioting mobs in the free-for-all that was sparked off following a dispute that arose when the idols of goddess Durga were being taken in a procession for immersion in Gaddennavagu reservoir. Police opened several rounds of fire in the air to quell the riotous mob. Earlier, a stone-pelting mob caused injuries to Bhainsa Sub Inspector of Police Uday Kiran, a police constable and a home guard.

One of the three persons who died of knife and stone injuries was identified as Bhutan, a painter from Bihar., while the remaining two could not be identified. The painter was a resident of Rajivnagar in Bhainsa for the past four years.

Local people blamed the police for not taking any measures in advance to prevent the outbreak of violence considering that there was tension in Bhainsa ever since the Ganesh immersion festival last month. Some nine idols of goddess Durga constituted the ‘shobha yatra’ procession that passed in front of a place of worship after the noon prayers. Members of the two communities engaged in a heated dispute over the sprinkling of ‘gulal’ (coloured powder) by some persons in the procession.

Motorbikes torched

This led to pelting of stones on the processionists and before long there was rioting by members of both the communities. The rampaging mobs went on a stabbing spree and torched motorcycles in the main market. Shops remained closed because of the holiday being observed on the day that follows Dussehra festival.

Adilabad Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar rushed to Bhainsa to monitor the situation. Additional police force was moved to the affected town from Adilabad, Bellampalli and even neighbouring Nizamabad district. Fire tenders from Jannaram, Ichoda, Nirmal and Armoor in Nizamabad were also pressed into service to control the fires.

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