AMRITSAR, India: Scattered indents of Communal violence Monday struck areas of Amritsar outside the curfew-bound old city as officials sought to defuse tension between Sikh municipal police and Hindu paramilitary units.

BS, Sial, director-general of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force, rushed to the Sikh holy city for talks with the senior police officials following the reported beating of three police officers by CRP, personnel.

Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala arrived in Amritsar 10 help assess the situation in the city hit by an indefinite strike.

CRPFE members entered a police station Sunday night and clubbed three police officers with rifle butts in an unsuccessful effort to free 11 Hindu extremists a rested on charge of trying to torch a bus, police sources said.

They said tensions between the Sikh-dominated city police and mostly Hindu C.R.P.F. units deployed in the city had been mounting since police shot and killed a Hindu extremist Saturday during protests by Sikh freedom fighters.

The Hindu organizations later announced the indefinite extension of the strike to press authorities into taking action against police officials.

Most business in Amritsar remained closed for the third day Monday and police reported that a body of a Hindu who had been stabbed to death. They said the killing occurred Sunday night, but gave no other details,

Hindu youths for a second day pelted a bus depot with rocks in an attempt to stop bus service and employees of the state-owned Punjab Raodways bus company returned the volleys, police said. ‘There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Hindus also hurled rocks at Sikh-owned homes and vehicles in areas of the city not covered by the curfew, police said.

Police Deputy Commissioner, Ramesh Inder, warned the restrict joins banning all but those with special passes from the streets might have to be extended to other neighborhoods.

On Sunday, Hindu extremists set fire to a Sikh-owned sawmill and hurled rocks at cars carrying Sikhs and at the bus depot. Several bus company employees were injured.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 27, 1986