M A I N   N E W S

Soldier’s funeral turns violent

kolhapur, Dec 30 (uni) — the funeral of a soldier killed in Monday’s Lashkar-e-Toiba’s attack on the Army’s 15 Corps headquarters in Srinagar sparked off rioting in this city today, the police said.

Tension mounted around noon after a mob returning from soldier Abhijit Suryawanshi’s funeral burnt the Pakistani flag, raised anti-Pakistan slogans and petted stones at two mosques, city buses, shops and houses.

Many vegetable stalls, vehicles and other property around the municipal corporation office and in the main streets of the city, through which the funeral procession passed, were damaged by the mob.

Maharashtra Social Welfare Minister Jaiwantrao Awale and Minister of State for Textile Prakash Awade were manhandled at the Panchganga crematoria where the funeral was held.

The crowd was unhappy with the statements in the powerloom town of Ichalkaranji in the district where tension rose on Id following attempts by certain organisations to perform “maha-arati” at a disputed site.

The police moved in to save the ministers and defuse the tension in the city. The security was beefed up and the situation was stated to be “under control”.

The police moved in to save the ministers and defuse the tension in the city. The security was beefed up and the situation was stated to be “under control”.

A bandh was also observed in the city in the soldier’s honour today.

The District Collector and the Superintendent of Police visited the affected areas and appealed for calm. Collector Arvindsinh said Section 144 of the crpC would be imposed an the city if required.