Police resort to lathicharge to drive themiscreants away, arrest four

Tension gripped parts of Belagavi when a group of youth violated restrictions on taking out processions and shouted anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans just during the closing hours of the otherwise peaceful Id Milad celebrations on Sunday.

The police resorted to lathicharge to drive the youth away before their provocative slogans resulted in angry reactions.

The police seized 26 motorcycles and 10 autorickshaws left behind by the youth and Id revellers at Badkal Galli and adjoining areas. The motorcycles seized included eight from Shivaji Nagar.

Police Commissioner S. Ravi, who rushed to the troubled areas with additional armed personnel, said that the Market Police arrested four persons in two cases in the night. More could be arrested after the police go through the CCTV footage, he added.

Communally sensitive area

According to eyewitnesses and police personnel deployed on bandobast arrangements for the festival, trouble broke out between 4 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. when the group of revellers on two-wheelers and autorickshaws raised pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans while entering the communally sensitive Badkal Galli adjacent to the Zilla Panchayat office building, in violation of restrictions on taking out processions in communally sensitive areas.

A confrontation occurred between the police and the revellers when the former warned the latter against raising provocative slogans and violating restrictions in force. The police then lathicharged the miscreants and chased them away. Many of the miscreants left behind their vehicles while fleeing.

As the news spread to other areas, some miscreants threw stones at a stationary van of the Karnataka State Reserve Police in Shivaji Nagar (adjacent to the district police headquarters) and also damaged a private car. As the police chased them away, some of them left their two-wheelers behind.

Mr. Ravi rushed to Shau Nagar and removed a pandal put up to celebrate the festival but blocking vehicular movement.

The police deployed additional forces in Badkal Galli, Khanjar Galli, Chandu Galli, Shivaji Nagar, Azam Nagar, Shau Nagar, Angol, Vishnu Galli and other communally sensitive areas in the city falling under the Market Police, APMC and Shahpur police station limits.

In the morning, Muslims celebrated Id to commemorate the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad by offering special prayers at the Idgah and mosques. Individuals from other religious communities exchanged greetings.