Three-day curfew in parts of Shimoga

By Our Special Correspondent

SHIMOGA, AUG. 27. A dusk to dawn curfew has been clamped for three days from Monday in parts of Shimoga city after one person was killed and at least five were injured, two of them seriously, when the Ganesha idol immersion procession of the Swamy Vivekananda Kesari Hindu Yuvak Sangh on the Maha Kavi Kalidas Road turned violent on Sunday night.

The curfew is in force between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in Maha Kavi Kalidas Road, Bharmappa Road, Gandhi Bazaar, K.R.Puram, Clerk Pet, Tipu Nagar, Old Tirthahalli Road. The ban order under Section 144 of Cr.PC, which is already in force in these areas, has been extended for three more days.

There was tension in the city even as shops on the main roads in the affected areas remained closed and life was affected in some areas which were rocked by a series of violent incidents.

Sadiq Fareed (25) was hit in the head with a club. He died before he could be taken to Manipal Hospital. He was buried today under heavy police protection. According to unconfirmed reports, one person was stabbed in the afternoon. He was admitted to the Mcgann Hospital.

Schools and colleges, which were ordered to be closed today, will remain closed on Tuesday also.

Additional force consisting of eight KSRP and eight DAR platoons have been requisitioned. While the city buses ran skeletal services, autorickshaws plied as usual. The Inspector General of Police (Eastern Range), Mr. A.R.Infant, who came from Davangere in the morning, is supervising the situation along with the District Magistrate, Mr. P.Ganeshan, the Superintendent of Police, Mr. N.Shivkumar, and the Additional Superintendent of Police, Mr. Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar.

Mr. Infant said that the situation was under control. He said there was sufficient force to deal with the situation.

Trouble arose when a Ganesha idol was taken out in a procession at about 4 p.m. on Sunday on the Maha Kavi Kalidas Road for immersion in the Tunga. As the procession approached a religious prayer hall, the processionists tried to burn camphor and raised slogans in front of it which led to stone throwing from inside the prayer hall in which the Ganesha idol was damaged. Incensed by this, the processionists retaliated by throwing stones in which several people were injured. However, the police present on the spot separated the two groups with a mild lathicharge.

This unseemly incident led to tension in Maha Kavi Kalidas Road and its surrounding areas with people gathering in small groups. However, they were chased away by the police.

The processionists, who were angered by the damage caused to the Ganesha idol, refused to proceed after reaching the Ameer Ahmed Circle. They agreed to proceed only after the police assured them of adequate protection. The immersion in the river took place at about 7.45 p.m.

However, the situation worsened again at about 8 p.m. with a sudden eruption of violence following the assault on Sadiq Fareed, a mini lorry driver, near his house on the Maha Kavi Kalidas Road. Fareed, who was grievously injured in the head, was admitted to Mcgann Hospital, from where he was advised to be shifted to Manipal Hospital. He died on the way to Manipal.

Meanwhile, Muneera and Prakash were injured in two incidents in the evening. While Muneera was shifted to the Mcgann Hospital, Prakash was admitted to a private hospital.

Nearly 40 persons were arrested in connection with the incidents. The Social Welfare and District in charge Minister, Mr. Kagodu Thimmappa, who rushed here in the afternoon, gave away a cheque for Rs.1 lakh to the father of the youth killed in the violence. He also reviewed the law and order situation in the city.

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Section  : Southern States
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