Bagalkot, Sep 25: Hundreds of rioters vandalised and set fire to houses, shops and vehicles belonging to a particular community in Mudhol town of Bagalkot district on Wednesday night.
The violence began when unidentified miscreants threw stones at a Ganesh idol procession at 9 pm, when it had stopped in front of a shrine in Janata Colony for a long time.
Soon, members of the other group started throwing stones and bottles at the place of worship and nearby houses.
The police, led by H?D?Mudaretti, Jamakhandi deputy superintendent of police, arrived at the spot.
The group started throwing stones at the police party too, injuring a few personnel severely. Stones and empty bottles were thrown on the PWD?guest houses in the area. Residents started fleeing their houses.
The rioters entered the house of a driver belonging to the PWD?and decamped with a cooking gas cylinder, washing machine and other valuables.
A tyre was set afire and thrown into the house, an eyewitness said. The driver’s wife said valuables, including gold ornaments, had been reduced to ashes. The rioters are said to have created havoc in many areas of the city, besides preventing police and fire personnel from extinguishing fire at various places.
A textiles shop was set on fire on MG?Road, leading to destruction of textiles worth Rs one crore.
Additional police forces have been summoned from neighbouring towns. Prohibitory orders have been imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC, Iada Martin Marbaniang, Bagalkot Superintendent of Police, told media persons.
Northern Range Inspector General of Police Umesh Kumar and more than 300 police personnel are camping in the town to restore normalcy. Schools, colleges and shops remained closed in the town on Thursday.
It is said that there was simmering tension between the communities since a fair in July. It had continued with competitive placing of hoardings last week. Yet, police had not taken precautionary measures.
A total of motorcycles and four other vehicles were gutted in the violence. Two houses, more than 40 shops were reduced to ashes. Ten people, including policemen were injured, while 69 people have been taken into custody.
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