Bardoli tense, 15 hurt in violent skirmishes

Trouble began around 9 pm on Tuesday in the Minara Masjid area, where Hitesh, son of Bardoli Congress unit president Devjibhai Bhandari, was reportedly overpowered and assaulted by a 50-strong group, apparently for parking his motorcycle too close to the mosque.

Devjibhai filed a police complaint and around 1 am on Wednesday, a 250-strong group assembled at Sardar Chowk and damaged shops and autorickshaws, before converging at the police station, demanding actionagainst those responsible for the Masjid incident.

In the meantime, Bardoli police said, a group of minority community members had gathered near the mosque, and on the arrival of a police team, led by PSI Vyas, pelted them with stones. A police spokesman said when the matter seemed to be getting out of hand, police resorted to lathicharge and lobbed seven teargas shells.

However, the spokesman said, when these steps had no effect, police fired seven rounds, four of which hit the mob. Seven people were arrested around 2 am, the spokesman said, adding another three were detained during the day.

Two more SRPF platoons were called in, while senior district police officials were camping in the town. District police sources said the situation was not serious enough to merit imposition of curfew.

PI S A Sardar told The Indian Express that no untoward incidents had been reported since early Wednesday. “Nine policemen, including five officials and four constables, were injured in the stone-throwing”,he added.