4 arrested in train torching case; Maharashtra back to normalcy

Mumbai, Dec 1 (UNI) Cracking down on agitators after the torching of the Mumbai-Pune Deccan Queen and a local train yesterday near Ulhasnagar in neighbouring Thane district, the police have so far arrested four suspects while a manhunt has been launched for the other ten persons who are still at large.

''So far the police have arrested four persons while we got to know the identities of other ten persons involved in this crime and massive manhunt is being launched to arrest them,'' state DGP P S Parricha told UNI.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra, which witnessed large-scale violence yesterday as a reaction to the desecration of the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in Kanpur, returned back to normalcy today as the curfew was lifted from all the places where it was imposed.

Three persons were killed including one in police firing, in the Dalit agitation in protest over the desecration in the last two days, besides 188 persons, including 38 policemen, getting injured.

Chief Minister Vilsrao Deshmukh, who airdashed to Mumbai from Singapore following the violence, told reporters that five coaches of Deccan Queen and three bogies of a local train were burnt apart from damage to 560 vehicles, including 310 government vehicles, and 198 shops were damaged in the riots till yesterday.

''So far over 2000 people have been arrested in connection with rioting incidents and we are taking very serious note of train torching incident. Additional DG (Law and Order) has been asked to inquire into entire incident of stone-pelting and arson'', he told reporters after a meeting of the top officials of the state government.

''An all party has also been convened tomorrow to discuss the prevailing situation'', the chief minister said, and urged the electronic media not to show the same incidents again and again which could adversely affect the people's sentiments.

Replying to a query whether there was any connection between the Khairlanji and yesterday's incident, Mr Deshmukh said ''we have accepted all the demands of dalit leaders about Khairlanji including giving the investigation to CBI'', and denied that there was any connection between the two incidents.

Meanwhile, the Nagpur police commissioner has denied permission to the morcha of by dalit leaders on December 4. The morcha was to move to the Vidhan Bhavan on the day when winter session of the state legislature was commencing.

''The police commissioner must have denied the permission to the morcha considering law and order issue'', Maharashtra deputy chief minister R R Patil told reporters.

Mr Patil said that the case of massacre of four members of Bhotmange family in Khairlanji in Bhandara would be handed over to CBI today and added that as per the statement of Bhayalal Bhotmange, surviver of the family, even the sarpanch and Upsarpanch have been arrested.

UNI JM WD/OBB VD BS1931