After mishap, clashes break out in MP town

Indefinite curfew was clamped in Dhar township of Madhya Pradesh following communal clashes, which left half a dozen people injured. The clashes were sparked off by an accident at Hatwara Mohalla when a motorcycle hit a teenager, injuring him seriously.

Police said an altercation took place between the two-wheeler driver, from the minority community, and a shopkeeper. Soon, two groups from different communities gathered at the spot. The situation took an ugly turn when they groups started pelting stones at each other. This led to clashes across the town. Curfew was clamped after protesters set fire to half a dozen kiosks and a few two-wheelers.

Divisional Commissioner, Indore, Ashok Das who rushed to Dhar suspected a design behind the clashes. ‘‘Given the fast spread of clashes to other parts of the town over a trivial incident makes us suspect that there was a deliberate design behind it,’’ Das said.