Violence erupts in Vadodara during Ganesh immersion

Vadodara, Sep 21 (UNI) Violence erupted today in the sensitive areas of the walled city during the immersion ceremony of Lord Ganesh's idols, forcing police to resort to mild lathicharge and lob teargas shells to quell the mob.

Police sources said the incidents of stone pelting were reported from the areas of Nani Chipwad, Bauchawad, Wadi and Nyaya Mandir this evening, triggering panic among the people.

Following the violence, shops in most of the walled city areas downed their shutters despite heavy police bandobast all along the routes leading to the Sursagar.

Denying that police opened fire on the stone-pelting mob near Nani Chipwad and Bauchawad, Police Commissioner P C Thakur, who rushed to the spots, said police resorted to mild lathicharge and lobbed some teargas shells to disperse the mob. But, there was no report of any injury due to stone pelting between members of the two communities.

Reports said violence sparked off when some unidentified miscreants pelted stones at a Lord Ganesh immersion procession at Panigate Darwaja on its way to the Sursagar. Soon, members of the two communities indulged in heavy brickbatting, forcing police to swung into action with lathicharge and lobbing of teargas shells. The entire area was immediately cordoned off.

The violence soon spread to Bauchawad, Wadi and Nyaya Mandir areas but was brought under control with immediate police intervention.

Sources said following the incidents of violence, police patrolling in and around the walled city areas was further intensififed and additional forces were deployed at all trouble-prone localities. However, no one was arrested so far, they added.

UNI