HYDERABAD: Communal riots spread to new areas in Hyderabad Tuesday even as shoot-at-sight orders were issued in the old city and curfew was imposed in the areas under eight more police stations.
While curfew continued the old city without any relaxation, it was imposed in new areas following fresh clashes.
Hyderabad police Commissioner A.K. Khan said Tuesday evening that indefinite curfew would be in force in Afzalgunz, Begumbazar, Shahinathgunz, Tappachaputra, Asifnagar, Mangalhat, Kulsumpura and Habibnagar police stations.
He also imposed prohibitory orders banning processions and rallies across this Andhra Pradesh capital after clashes in new areas.
The indefinite curfew in the riot-hit old city of Hyderabad continued Tuesday without relaxation. All 17 police stations under the south zone were brought under curfew Monday night to control the situation.
The communal violence, which was so far confined to the old city, spread to other areas in the city, triggering tension.
Groups belonging to two different communities clashed in Musheerabad, Bholakpur and Rani Gunj and other areas in central Hyderabad and its twin city Secunderabad.
Andhra Pradesh police chief Girish Kumar told reporters that police were ordered to shoot anyone carrying lethal weapons, stones or sticks in the curfew-bound old city. The order came after fresh incidents of violence that left over 30 people injured.
While the curfew-bound old city remained by and large peaceful, trouble broke out in Musheerabad area when some people allegedly pelted stones on a religious procession. Rival groups clashes with stones and sticks. The miscreants attacked houses and damaged over 20 vehicles.
The trouble spread to nearby Bholakpur and Rani Gunj areas. In Begum Bazar area near the old city, police opened fire in the air to disperse two clashing groups.
There was tension in several areas as various organisations took out processions to mark Hanuman Jayanti. As the tension was mounting, police ordered closure of shops and business establishments in almost all parts of the city as a precautionary measure. Almost the entire city wore a deserted look.
Sporadic incidents of stone pelting were reported from curfew-bound areas of Gulzar Houz and Shahali Banda near the historic Charminar but the police controlled the situation by resorting to baton charges and arresting the miscreants.
The violence, which broke out Saturday in Moosabowli area of Hussaini Alam over a dispute on putting up of religious flags, has so far left one person dead and over 80 injured while several places of worship were attacked and vehicles torched.
With rampaging mobs taking to streets in several areas Monday afternoon, police imposed curfew to bring the situation under control. Hundreds of policemen and paramilitary forces personnel were deployed across the communally-sensitive walled city.
The violence of last three days and the curfew has put the residents to severe inconvenience.
Police, with the help of some dairy farms, arranged supply of milk in curfew-bound areas Tuesday morning. Women were allowed to come out and buy milk from the suppliers.
Policemen from other parts of the state, neighbouring states and personnel of central forces like Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have been deployed in the trouble-torn areas.
Police Commissioner Khan said any decision on relaxing the curfew would be taken after a review of the situation Wednesday.
He said police had formed special teams to identify the culprits behind the riots. "We have so far arrested 110 people in connection with various incidents and questioning them to identify the culprits," Khan said.
Authorities have postponed the Class 10 examinations in all curfew-bound areas. The education department announced that the examinations would be held for students in the old city at a later date.
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