Old City riot shatters calm –ToI- 9.4.12

12 Hurt In Violence After Place Of Worship Desecrated

Hyderabad: Desecration of a place of worship in Kurmaguda in Madannapet on Sunday morning triggered sporadic incidents of communal violence, shattering the uneasy calm in the Old City. At least 12 persons were hurt – three of them critical after stab injuries – in daylong rioting in parts of the Old City. 
    As a precautionary measure, curfew has been clamped in Saidabad and Madannapet police station limits and Section 144 (prohibition of assembly of over four persons) has been imposed across the city. The cops, who were beginning to breathe easy after a peaceful end to the Hanuman Jayanti rally on Friday, were jolted back into action following the Sunday violence. 
    Trouble started at around 7.30am after locals of Kurmaguda found a place of worship desecrated with paint and animal body parts. Following protests, police pressed a dog squad to trace the culprit. The sniffer dog traced the scent to a fuel outlet near the office of assistant commissioner of police (Malakpet division). A mob of over 200 that was following the dog soon started pelting stones at shops and establishments there. A little later, the agitators went berserk and vent their ire by damaging windshields of APSRTC buses and personal vehicles.The mob targeted shops till they reached Madannapet market. Soon, violence spread to surrounding areas as pitched battles were fought between two groups in various places of Saidabad and Madannapet. 
    As the violence continued unabated in pockets of Kurmaguda, a crowd of over 50 from another community began throwing stones at houses at Pusalabasti in Saidabad. Residents of Pusalabasti also retaliated and the outnumbered cops were reduced to being mute spectators. The situation was brought under control by 11am after police sent in reinforcements. 
    After the police took control, a bike rider who stopped near another place of worship in Zakir Hussain Colony was beaten up and his bike set ablaze. Similar incidents of vehicle burning were reported at Kurmaguda and other places. 
    By this time, the news of communal clashes had spread and three persons were stabbed in separate incidents: two youngsters from Madhapur, who were on their way to Madannept to visit their sister, were stabbed in Chanchalguda; while another person, who went to a place of worship, was stabbed in Madannapet. 
    A person was also attacked with boulders in the vicinity of the ACP Malakpet’s office, where senior officials of the Hyderabad police were camping in. At several locations, police had to lob tear gas shells to quell the agitators. 
    Six persons suffered injuries in stone pelting in Pusalabasti, Zakir Hussain Colony, Sapotabagh areas of Saidabad police limits.