AHMEDABAD: The death toll in the unabated Hindu Muslim violence in western coastal state of Gujarat during last four days has risen to twenty with five more deaths reported from the walled city areas Friday.
One person was killed in police firing in the curfew bound Gomtipur, Bapunagar and Amraiwadi.
Police fired over 34 rounds and burst 116 teargas shells to quell rioting mobs in Bapunagar, Kalupur and Gomtipur. In all 30 persons were injured in Friday’s violence.
Police rounded up 2000 persons including 54 in connection with the stabbing. About a dozen incidents of arson and looting were reported from Manager, Bapun agar, Sara spur and Raipur areas where shops were set on fire.
The indefinite curfew, which was imposed in parts of Gomtipur labour areas, was extend to some areas of Kalupur and Karenj police stations of the walled city.
Meanwhile 31, companies of the state reserve police and 17 top officers had been engaged to maintain law and order in the city.
Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel called a meeting of top police officers and reviewed the situation in the city and visited the hospital where the injured had been admitted.
He also addressed a meeting of representatives of political parties, voluntary organizations, legislators and parliamentarians sought the cooperation of the people to bring peace in the city, effective steps would be taken to curb the violence, he said.
The chief ministers said anti-social elements were behind the violence and those arrested might have political affiliations. There would be some more preventive arrests, he added.
He said mill workers and students would be allowed to go into the curfew bound areas and added that even in hospitals police bandobast had been arranged to provide protection to the patients there.
Patel said the terrorist and disruptive activities act (TADA) would be applied against those “spreading terrorism and indulging in murders.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 13, 1990
