Disturbances broke in the sensitive Madannapet and Saidabad areas of the Old city on Sunday morning leading to clamping of curfew. It is more than two years since curfew had to be enforced anywhere in the city.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy reviewed the situation in separate meetings. The Chief Minister has directed the Director General of Police Dinesh Reddy to take stern action against the miscreants. The DGP and the City police commissioner A K Khan toured the trouble-hit areas to instill confidence among the people, who were baffled by the disturbances. The police commissioner has stated that the police had taken into custody two persons in connection with a clash between groups. He stated that whoever might cause trouble, would be sternly dealt with by the police. He urged the people not to believe rumors and get excited.
The DGP also advised the people not to resort to clashes over trivial matters. He warned the miscreants that the police would not take a lenient view about disturbances of this nature. He also appealed to the people of these areas not to come out of their houses until the situation returned to normalcy. He suggested to them to approach the police in case they face any doubtful situation.
Maulana Naseer uddin was called to police station and after questioning was released . Reports of stone throwing and reported from Mogalpura and Sultanshahi areas. Rapid action forces were deployed in large numbers in all sensitive areas.
Unofficial reports said that police had arrested several persons of the communities involved in the clashes. Clashes have been occurring in these two areas since Saturday night. As there were clashes between two groups, police imposed curfew in Madannapt and Saidabad, since the morning of Sunday. Police who had to resort to lathi-charge in both the areas and using tear gas have imposed curfew as they could not bring the situation back to normalcy.
On Sunday morning two groups had hurled stones against each other and damaged 20 buses and 10 shops. Following the incidents, police had brought in reinforcements to the troubled areas. Heavy police posse was posted in Madannapet, Champapet, Santosh Nagar and Saidabad areas. Apart from the DGP and the Commissioner, Additional Commissioner Amit Garg also reviewed the situation.
Following these disturbances, police have strengthened security arrangements in other sensitive areas of the State also. Police said that they were exempting Tenth class students from the curfew.
Initially trouble broke out around 7 am on Sunday after the locals reportedly found “meat” lying near a religious place in Kurumaguda that “provoked” members of a particular community, police said. As the news spread, members of the two communities assembled near the place in large numbers and started pelting stones at each other and at the houses in Kurumaguda, Madannapet and Saidabad areas. “Miscreants also pelted stones at buses damaging glass-panes, besides setting fire to at least two vehicles. Two incidents of stabbing were also reported. Uneasy calm prevailed in these areas after shops and business establishments downed the shutters after additional forces were deployed to restore normalcy.
The trouble began in the morning when two groups belonging to different communities clashed at Kurmaguda, after some pieces of an animal were found near a place of worship. Agitated over this, a group started pelting stones on shops and buses of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation.
Ten shops and 20 buses were damaged in the stone pelting. Police used teargas shells and baton to dispel the clashing groups. (NSS)