Arguments during kite-flying festivities led to at least three separate clashes in Vadodara, Anand and Panchmahal districts on Tuesday, the day of Uttarayan, with at least 16 persons arrested by Thursday, police said. Jawaharnagar police station in Vadodara Thursday arrested eight persons in a case of assault and rioting based on the FIR by Ismail Khatki, a resident of Laxminagar society, against eight persons, led by prime accused Iqbal Khatki, for allegedly assaulting him with pipes and sharp objects. Police have also lodged a second cross FIR from the rival group against Ismail and his supporters, filed by Mohsin Rathod — another resident of the area. While local residents claimed that the clash began after a dispute during kite-flying, Jawaharnagar Police Inspector AB Mori told The Indian Express, “The two groups are local rivals. They had a verbal altercation late on the night of Uttarayan and it escalated into an assault on the first complainant, who is currently undergoing treatment. The clash was regarding some abuses hurled by members of the two groups at each other. The second FIR has been lodged and we have arrested the eight accused in the first FIR on Thursday.” In another incident, Borsad city police arrested eight accused for allegedly assaulting a 44-year-old man, Pradeep Solanki, with knives and swords after a quarrel over “snatching” kites whirling down from the sky. The incident occurred on the day of Uttarayan when the accused, identified as Ajitsinh Harman Singh, Harbajh Singh, Sunder Singh, Ravinder Singh, Son Singh, Kabir Singh, Mangal Singh, and Harsh Harbajh Singh, allegedly attacked Solanki following a spat when Solanki picked up a kite that had fallen from the sky. According to the complaint, the incident occurred in Narayan Nagar where three of the accused allegedly pushed Solanki to the ground while Ajit Singh allegedly assaulted him with a knife. According to the complaint, when five other accused allegedly brought out swords to attack him, his son Mehul arrived at the spot to help him and was injured in the leg. The Borsad city police on Wednesday arrested the accused and conducted a reconstruction of the incident. Panchmahal district police has also begun a probe into an alleged incident of clash between two groups of the same community over flying kites. The incident took place on January 14, when two groups in the same neighbourhood of Godhra's Vagadiyavas were involved in a clash, allegedly after a minor quarrel between children over kite-flying. The Godhra A Division police station lodged an FIR in the case and arrested three persons.
