Mewat, June 8
Tauru village in Mewat simmered with communal violence today. Plundering and rioting went on for several hours. All this while, the district police were reduced to mere spectators.

It was a free for all as two communities clashed in the village after an accident resulting in the killing of a youth. A dumper mowed down two men riding on a bike, killing one of them. Mob consisting mostly of family and friends of the victims thrashed the driver and helper of the dumper badly.

A word went around that the duo had died -- a fact insisted upon by the locals and families and negated by the authorities. The spat turned bigger and the two communities went on a rampage. Around 28 shops were damaged. Pelting stones, rioters robbed, plundered and damaged religious monuments. They opened fire at each other. Property was damaged and several were grievously injured. Two persons were badly injured in gun fire.

Their condition was stated to be critical. Mewat police, however, could not bring the situation under control.

Sources said mob even attacked the policemen, who were outnumbered. They refused to enter the village and called for additional forces who took not less than three hours to reach. The police officials claimed that the two roads to the village had been blocked by rioters.

Mewat Deputy Commissioner RC Verma imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC, banning gathering of five or more persons. He also clamped curfew on the area. Additional police force was summoned.

At the intervention of Gurgaon MP and Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh, a team of Central forces was deputed. "It is a case of police inaction. People were on the rampage and they refused to enter the village.

I had to speak to DG Haryana and Home Department officials to get things moving. Thankfully, situation is under control now and I appeal to people to maintain peace," said Singh. Locals said three persons had died in the violence. Refusing to confirm the figure, the administration said the victims were in critical condition.

Meanwhile, Gurgaon Commissioner Alok Mittal and DCP Vivek Sharma reached the spot along with high ups from Rewari. "All is normal now and things are under control. I cannot say what went before we reached but things are fine now," said Mittal.