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6 killed, 37 hurt in violence during Ganesh immersion

The 12-day Ganesh festival, which had passed off peacefully in different parts of the country, was marred on the final immersion day when violence broke out in Surat, Gujarat, and Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, resulting in the death of six persons and injuries to 37 others.

In Surat, trouble began when processionists taking Ganesh idols out for immersion tried to pass through sensitive areas of the city even though police had refused them permission to do so.

When the police prevented them from entering the sensitive areas, the processionists became violent and started throwing stones at the men in uniform, forcing them to open fire. Six persons were killed and 10 others were injured in this incident.

In Hyderabad too, police opened fired, but in the air, at four places to quell violence as 27 people, including 16 policemen and a photographer, were injured in stone-throwing during the immersion procession.

Additional Commissioner of Police K Aravinda Rao was among those injured.

Commissioner S R Sukumara told reporters that his men fired in the air at Asha Talkies, Bhavani Nagar, Mumtaz Function Palace and Madina to disperse the clashing groups.

Police also resorted to a baton-charge when miscreants damaged a few shops in the area.

Police lobbed teargas shells in the Charminar area as the situation became tense and people were restless.

The procession was stopped at Nagulchinta for 90 minutes so that people in the Old City area could offer Friday prayers.

Bharatiya Janata Party politician and Union Minister of State for Urban Development Bandaru Dattatraya later demanded a high-level inquiry into the violence in the Old City, saying it was pre-planned.

Dattatraya said the processionists exercised restraint and came to a halt between 1200 and 1330 IST to allow those who wanted to offer Friday namaaz to do so.

The head of the procession was stopped 1km away from the Charminar to allow peaceful Friday prayers at the famous Macca Masjid.

But soon after the prayers, miscreants starting throwing stones and the other group retaliated. The clash lasted nearly 30 minutes.

UNI

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