Chamarajanagar, Apr 20: Members of two communities clashed at Santhemaralli Circle extension in Chamarajanagar town on Saturday night, after a hoarding that allegedly hurt the sentiments of a community was installed in the extension.
Nearly two dozen people including six policemen sustained injuries in group clash and subsequent stone pelting incidents. Rural police station SI Mahadevappa, constables Puttalingegowda, Mahesh, Gopal, Shashidhar and Vageesh are the injured. Besides, seven to eight policemen have suffered minor bruises in the clash.
As a precautionary measure, the district administration has clamped prohibitory orders at Santhemarahalli Circle and adjacent areas. As many as 300 policemen, including 3 KSRP battalions and DAR personnel, have been deployed in the clash-hit area.
On Saturday night, a group of people were erecting flex boards and tying banners at Santhemarahalli Circle as part of Kondotsava celebration scheduled for April 24. Another group arrived at the spot and started raising objection to it. The groups got into an argument.
Soon the members of both groups engaged in throwing stones and bottles at each others. Police who were trying to pacify the mob, got injured in the clash. Police personnel resorted to lathicharge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
Both groups went on a vandalising spree at midnight, destroying streetlights on the roads close to the cirlce. The police have taken 25 persons belonging to both groups into their custody.
A peace committee meeting was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Sunday. The miscreants disrupted a peace meeting organised by MLA C Puttarangashetty on Sunday morning. While the MLA was busy trying to pacify members of a group, a few miscreants threw stones and bottles at the crowd. The legislator left the scene midway through the peace meeting.
Superintendent of Police S Rangaswamy Nayak, Addl DC D Bharati, Addl SP Mutturaj M Gowda and CMC president S Nanjundaswamy visited the spot to take stock of the situation. The situation is now peaceful but police have been stationed in the area.
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