One dead, 12 injured in communal clash
PATNA: A 25-year-old man was killed and 12 others, including two security personnel, were injured on Friday morning in the fresh round of communal violence in Bihar’s Jehanabad town where members of two communities had clashed during the Durga idol immersion procession on Wednesday night.
Jehanabad district magistrate Naveen Kumar confirmed the death of one Vishnu Kumar (Gaurakshni), son of a school teacher. Another civilian, identified as Mithun Kumar of Gandhi Nagar, received a bullet injury, and was referred to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).
Mobile internet services have been suspended by the district administration to check rumour mongering.
So far 50 shops have been ransacked and 20 set on fire by mobs; as many as 25 people have been arrested in connection with these incidents, police said.
Most of the markets and educational institutions remained closed and roads wore a deserted look in Jehanabad on Friday, despite confidence building measures undertaken by the district administration.
Prohibitory orders were issued under Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure, restricting gathering and movement of people. A large number of personnel from Rapid Action Force and other central forces were deployed to check further clashes and restore normalcy.
Senior police officers including additional director general (law and order) Amit Kumar, inspector general (headquarters) N H Khan, deputy IG (STF) Binay Kumar, are camping in the town.
Police took out a flag march through the affected areas and held a peace dialogue with people from both the communities.
The situation is tense, but under control, the DM added.
According to news agency PTI, Bihar police chief Gupteshwar Pandey confirmed the casualty besides “bullet injury to only one person” which he blamed on “skirmish between anti-social elements which followed the opening of fire from one side”.