M A I N   N E W S

Curfew in Ranchi as tension rises

RANCHI, Dec 29 (UNI) — The Jharkhand administration clamped curfew on the town today following stone pelting by a mob and teargas shelling by the Rapid Action Force (RAF) as tension mounted during the Ranchi bandh called by a few minority organisations.

According to Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Sukhdeo Singh, curfew was clamped on Ranchi from 2.40 pm. The situation became tense following teargas shelling by the RAF on a mob which became violent.

The minority community members had come out on the street near an Urdu library here raising slogans denigrating the government. The RAF lobbed teargas shells when the mob damaged an RAF vehicle near the Rajendra roundabout.

The Deputy Commissioner said the situation near the Rajendra roundabout was under control. However, the curfew was clamped as a preventive measure. The bereaved family of those killed in yesterday’s police firing had been allowed to carry out the burial in the Doranda cemetery.

Heavy deployment of the police had been made on main roads, particularly near the Urdu library.

Trouble has been brewing in the town since the police firing in which three members of a particular community were killed on the day of Id.

The Army staged a flag march in the sensitive areas of the capital town. Chief Secretary V.S. Dubey said three columns of the Army, requisitioned from Deepatoli, staged a flag march in the sensitive areas in the evening.

He said a mob set ablaze a police picket near the Srujata roundabout here, while another makeshift police picket was torched in the Hindpiri areas.

Bandh supporters displaying black flags descended on the streets after offering Friday prayers at the Ekra Masjid this afternoon and started restricting movement of people on the roads.