Ram Navami violence: 77 held, Nitish holds meet, cops dismiss rumours

Altogether 77 people have been arrested in connection with the communal violence that erupted in Bihar Sharif town in Nalanda district during the Ram Navami festivities, police said on Sunday.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar chaired a high-level meeting over violence in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif and asked police to be on the alert.

The CM also announced an ex gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of a person who died after clashes broke out between two groups on Saturday evening in Bihar Sharif.

The deceased, identified as Mukesh Kumar, died in a firing incident in the Paharpur area, police said.

However, during the review meeting, the chief minister said that the police and the administration should be fully alert, and maintain complete promptness.

'They should keep an eye on everything. Keep identifying the miscreants and take the strictest action against them. Under any circumstances, keep an eye on it so that no mistake is made. Maintain law and order completely,' an official statement said quoting Bihar CM.

Bihar CM also directed officials to have an immediate talk with the Superintendent of Police of all the districts through video conferencing.

'Get complete information. Inform the media about the facts by holding a press conference so that no rumour spreads and people do not get confused,' the CM said.

Police said normalcy has been restored in Bihar Sharif.

In a tweet on Sunday, the Bihar Police said, 'Normalcy has been restored in Bihar Sharif the situation is completely under control. Total 77 people have so far been arrested by the district police as part of its investigation into the matter. Senior officers are camping in the affected areas... and adequate deployments of security forces have been made in the area.'

The police dismissed rumours that are doing the rounds on social media about the rising tension in the area.

The police urged the people to not pay heed to any such rumours.

A senior officer of the Bihar Police said, "Probe is on to nab other miscreants also responsible for Ram Navami violence amid prevailing tension in the area."

Police said that prohibitory order under Section 144 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is in place in Bihar Sharif after fresh clashes broke out on Saturday night.

The state police had on Saturday arrested 45 people in connection with communal riots at Sasaram and Bihar Sharif that erupted during the Ram Navami festivities.

Vehicles, houses and shops were torched and several people injured in communal flare-ups reported in both towns.

In Sasaram, the district administration ordered imposition of prohibitory order under Section 144 CrPC on Friday afternoon after re-eruption of clashes, which first broke out the previous evening.

-- with ANI inputs