Nashik clash: Situation under control

Nashik, Jul 16: Two days after a youth was killed in police firing and eight policemen were injured in a stone- pelting incident following clash between two groups, the situation in trouble-hit Harsul town has been brought under control, police said on Thursday.

"The situation is well under control and extra police force has been deployed to ward off any untoward incident," District Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sanjay Mohite said.

Last evening, state Water Resource Minister Girish Mahajan, who is also guardian minister of the district visited Harsul along with BJP MP from Dindori Harishchandra Chavan, Collector Dipendrasinh Kushwah, Special IG, Nashik range JJ Singh, DSP Mohite, Sub-divisional-officer Balasaheb Wakchoure, and BJP MLA from Nashik Balasaheb Sanap.

He also conducted meetings with locals, party activists and members of the peace committee, urging them to maintain harmony.

Mahajan toured the violence-hit areas and assured locals that stern action will be taken against those found guilty while asking concerned departments to carry out 'panchanamas' of damages immediately, an official press release said today.

Chavan also urged upon people to keep calm and assist the administration in defusing tension in the tribal town.

Collector Kushwah also appealed to the people not to take law in their hands and said the detained college students will be released soon after verifying their involvement in the clash.

He said 49 shops, 14 houses were damaged in stone-pelting incident on Tuesday prompting policemen to open fire killing one Ramdas Budhad of Nachlondi of Peint taluka in the district.

DSP Mohite said 32 persons involved in the stone-pelting, which also injured eight policemen, have been detained. According to police, the body of Bhagirath Choudhary (26) was found in a well in Baripada near Harsul on July 7.

Later, a group of tribals staged a demonstration on Tuesday over postmortem of the body which turned violent and led to the clash.

PTI