Maha: Curfew relaxed in riot-hit Miraj, Sangli

Curfew was relaxed on Wednesday morning at the riot-hit towns of Miraj, Sangli and Ichalkaranji in western Maharashtra following gradual improvement in the situation, authorities said.

In Miraj, where the trouble sparked off on September 3 during the Lord Ganesha idol immersion procession, curfew was relaxed for four hours from 0800 hours to 1200 hours.

In Sangli and Ichalkaranji where one person was stabbed to death and five others were injured, curfew was relaxed from 1000 hours to 1300 hours to allow people to shop for daily necessities.

The situation was slowly returning to normal after an all party meeting held in Mumbai on Tuesday at which a peace formula was worked out, official sources said.

The representatives of Sarvajanik Ganesh mandals in Miraj have decided to immerse the remaining idols on Thursday, almost a week after the 'Ananthchaturdashi day' when the procession was disrupted.

Majority of the 154 Ganesh mandals there had refused to immerse the Ganesh idols as mark of protest.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, also announced that innocent persons arrested during the riots would be freed immediately. Meanwhile, two units of Rapid Action Force have been deployed in Sangli, Tasgoan, and Miraj to keep a check on the situation.