Solapur turns tinder

On Saturday, a mob set on fire the Employment Chowk office of Bandhuprem, a daily owned by M D Shaikh, the alleged master-mind behind Friday’s bandh. Shaikh has already been arrested along with 300 others. Curfew has been extended in the city till early Sunday morning, following renewed violence throughout Saturday.

The local administration, however, continued to maintain that the situation has returned to normal. Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal who had a brief stopover here while returning to Mumbai from Latur and his deputy (home portfolio) Manikrao Thakare maintained that normalcy was returning. Several other State ministers also visited the town to take stock of the situation.

The local police force which proved woefully inadequate in handling mobs on Friday were today beefed up with six companies of the State Reserve Police Force besides a company of Rapid Action Force.

Thakare, who went round the town along with district guardian minister R R Patil this afternoon, was greeted by at least three major incidents of arson at the Asara Society Railway Bridge and Hotgi Road areas where a furniture godown, a few scrap and other shops and a hand cart were burnt down by the mob.

Frantic orders by Thakare, Patil and city mayor Nalini Chandele failed to provide any succour to the victims as the SMC fire brigade found the situation too hot to handle.

Earlier in the day, commotion prevailed at Patrude chowk area of the town where a local activist was killed after allegedly beaten up by security men. An angry mob also burnt a vehicle at the chowk, before the police managed to disperse the crowd.

Police had to resort to firing to disperse a mob in the Kharibaodi area on the evening. A mob burnt down Sahastrarjun hospital and four adjoining shops in Painter Chowk area. Some timber godowns in Tukaram Chowk area were also set on fire.