Bareilly: Bareilly remained tensed with curfew still clamped in many parts of the city after communal clashes broke out in the communally sensitive town of Uttar Pradesh on March 2.
Several buses and shops were torched by rioters on Friday morning. Police say there has been no loss of lives, but City SP Rakesh Jolly was injured in stone pelting.
Fresh violence was sparked off after cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, who was arrested earlier for making inflammatory speeches, was released from jail.
Soon after his release, members of a community defied curfew and went on a rampage indulging in heavy brick batting and arson in nearly one dozen localities of the old city area.
Police used force at a number of places to control the unruly mob, which torched nearly half a dozen buildings.
"Situation is under control now. Curfew still imposed in Prem Nagar, Qila, Baradari and City Kotwali," said Bareilly SSP Rajiv Sabharwal
Trouble between two communities broke out on March 2 after someone threw stones on a religious procession.
Bareilly Range IG Bhanu Pratap Singh admitted that proper security arrangements may not have been made ahead of the procession.
"Curfew continues in the four police stations. The tension is easing day by day. The violence sparked out over public annoyance over certain issues. It is not communal violence, only one community is unhappy about certain issues. There has not been a single case of loss of life, nobody badly injured. We have arrested more than 300 people in the past many days. Perhaps proper assessment was not made before the procession for proper bandobast," said Singh.
To protest against Maulana's release, BJP MLA Rajesh Agarwal and former MP Santosh Gangwar staged a dharna in front of the district magistrate's residence, which continued till late Friday night.
(With inputs from PTI)
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