Karnataka - Shimoga   

Calm in Shimoga after three days of violence

Affected family: Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey on Thursday handing over a cheque for

Shimoga: There was peace in Shimoga city on Thursday after it had been rocked by communal violence since Monday. Curfew has been extended till Friday, the fourth day in a row.

Schools and colleges will continue to remain closed for the fourth day as a precautionary measure.

Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey told presspersons on Thursday evening that curfew would be relaxed from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday to facilitate the people to make purchases of essential commodities. He said arrangements would be made to allow inter-city buses to pass through Shimoga when the curfew is relaxed. However, the decision on whether Muslims should be allowed to offer prayers at the mosques during the curfew hours on Friday would be taken after reviewing the situation.

Mr. Pandey said as many as 110 persons had been arrested since the violence broke out in the city on Monday and a total of 23 cases in connection with these incidents had been registered.

Mr. Pandey handed over the two cheques for Rs. 1 lakh each to the next of the kin of Abdul Latif, who was killed in the mob violence, and Sadiq, who was killed in the police firing.

No untoward incident was reported from any place in Shimoga district on Thursday. The people were seen making quick purchases of milk and other essential commodities when the curfew was relaxed twice during the day from 7 a.m. to 11 am and from 3.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

All roads in the city wore a deserted look during the curfew hours with the police keeping strict vigil to prevent any untoward incident.

The district administration announced on Wednesday night that educational institutions will remain closed on Thursday in view of fresh reports of incidents of communal violence here on Wednesday evening.

It may be recalled that the district administration had ordered the reopening of the schools and colleges on Thursday in view of the improvement in the law and order situation after the clamping of curfew on Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to unconfirmed reports, a person was assaulted at Urugadur on the outskirts of Shimoga on Wednesday night when he was on his way to Mattur. In another incident, a godown of plastic wares on the Thirthahalli Road was set on fire.

These two incidents reportedly forced the district administration to declare the closure of the educational institutions on Thursday too after reviewing the worsening law and order situation.

Superintendent of Police S. Murugan was present at the press conference.

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