Clash Between Members Of 2 Communities In Gujarat Town; Cop Among 4 Injured

A communal clash broke out in Gujarat's Anand district in which a police constable and three other persons suffered injuries, an official said Sunday. Police have arrested 14 people in connection with the incident that took place in Borsad town on Saturday night over the issue of laying of bricks on a disputed plot of land, he said. Later, the police lobbed around 50 teargas shells and fired 30 rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, Deputy Superintendent of Police D R Patel said.

Heavy security has been deployed in the town and the situation is under control, he said. "At around 9.30 pm on Saturday, some people from a community were laying bricks on a disputed plot. Some members of another community objected to it, leading to an altercation between the two sides. The dispute later escalated and members from both the sides started hurling stones at each other," the official said. After being alerted, local police rushed to the spot and appealed to members of both the communities to maintain peace, he said.  The local civic chief also reached there and asked the people to refrain from laying bricks on the plot until the dispute was resolved, he said.

However, members from the two communities threw stones on each other and clashed. A police constable and another person were stabbed in he violence, Patel said, adding that two other persons were also injured. The police lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the rioters, he said. The constable was seriously injured. He and the three other injured persons were admitted to hospital, the official said. At least 14 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence, he said. The police have identified 15 sensitive locations in the city and heavy security has been deployed there. Two companies of the State Reserve Police (SRP) have also been called for security in the affected areas, the official said. 

(With PTI Inputs)