Fresh violence in Vadodara, one burnt alive

Vadodara, May 3: One person was burnt alive in a car as a 2000-strong mob attacked shops and houses in the Panigate police station area despite curfew in riot-hit Vadodara late last night.

According to police sources, the mob went on a rampage in the Mahavir char-rasta on the Ajwa road and set ablaze a number of vehicles, shops and houses in the area before additional reinforcement and Rapid Action Force (RAF) reached the spot.

The mob indulged in heavy stone-pelting with the police which had to toil hard to bring the situation under control by resorting to lathicharge and lobbing teargas shells. The police had to open fire to disperse the mob and later a combing operation in search of miscreants had started, Additional Commissioner of Police V M Pargi told UNI.

The unidentified victim trapped inside the burning vehicle, was later removed to the SSG hospital. It was however not immediately known as to how many were injured in the bloody clashes.

All the senior police officials, including police commissioner Deepak Swaroop had rushed to the spot.

Clashes also reportedly broke out between the two communities at Kotiadnagar, Bawamanpura, Sardar estate under the Panigate police station late last night. Earlier yesterday, curfew was relaxed for a couple of hours in the Panigate area from 12.30 to 2.30 pm and the authorities had decided to give 9-hour curfew relaxation in the area from 8 am to 5 pm tomorrow following improvement in the situation.

With the killing of one more person, the death toll in the last two days of continued violence and police firing had risen to six.

About 20 victims of the riots were still admitted to the SSG hospital.

UNI

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