BAREILLY: Following incidents of violence and it subsequently assuming the proportion of a communal riot, district administration has imposed curfew in Bareilly ’s Jagatpur area on Saturday.

According to police sources, at around 7.30 p.m., a communal clash broke out between two communities in Jagatpur area of Bareilly during a huge procession on account of Janmashtami . Brick-batting and heavy firing took place between two rival groups in which many are feared to be injured seriously.

District magistrate Abhishek Anand said, “Keeping note of sensitivity in the area, the district administration has imposed immediate curfew in Jagatpur areas as of now. However, situation is under control in rest of the city and the administration would keep strict vigil and continuous patrolling in entire city to avoid any untoward incident further.”

The trouble started when on Friday evening, police were trying to ban the use of loudspeaker at a place of worship in Bhojipura, Jogi Navada and Haziapur areas on account of Janamashtami. Angry locals especially women of the areas opposed the police stand, staged a protest and even pelted stones at police.

According to sources, police forcefully got the loudspeakers removed from the places of worship after members of the particular community objected to it. The incident gradually flared up into a protest soon. However, a team of administrative officials along with heavy police force rushed to the spot and pacified the situation.

Over the issue, district magistrate Abhishek Anand denied the incident of stone pelting and said, “After recent communal clash, the district administration had drawn up a riot action plan and has restricted the usage of loudspeakers at religious places. And on that basis, we removed the loudspeakers but now the situation in under control now. It was a small ruckus created by villagers over the ban on loudspeaker.”