Two groups clash in Surat over electric meter theft

SURAT: Three persons suffered injuries and a few motorcycles were damaged in a clash between two groups of same community at Syalda village of Valdo taluka in Tapi district on Thursday. One group attacked the other with sticks who in turn resorted to stone pelting. Police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. They booked six people of Nava Faliya at Syalda village for allegedly attacking a group of villagers from Luhar Faliya on the charge that they stole an electric meter and some wire.A resident of Nava Faliya has lodged a complaint against six residents of Luhar Faliya for damaging their vehicles and pelting stones at them.
Six people of Nava Faliya have been booked under the atrocity act. Accused Dhaval Patel, Ashok Bhakt, Ashit Desai, Sajan Bhakt, Mitul Patel and others in their group allegedly went to Luhar Faliya and blamed a few youth for stealing an electric meter and some wire. The locals were agitated and soon violence broke out. The accused allegedly injured a youth by hitting him with a stick on his head.
In a cross complaint, Divyesh Bhakt alleged that they went to ask if anyone had stolen the electric meter but locals of Luhar Faliya started to pelt them with stones. Police have booked Bharat Halpati, Hasmukh Halpati, Mahesh Halpati, Mitul Halpati, Sameer Halpati and Piyush Halpati following Bhakt's complaint.