Tension gripped certain areas under Shahpur police station limits here after anti-social elements exploited a petty incident to fan communal violence holding innocent public, besides the police, to ransom, late on Sunday night.
Miscreants indulged in stone-throwing and damaged seven vehicles parked outside their houses after a young boy was attacked near Acharya Galli. As many as four persons suffered minor injuries in the stone-throwing. The police, who have arrested 15 persons, are on the look-out for others.
According to the police, trouble began when a section of youth took objection to children building a mini model-fort replicating one of the forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, as part of the ongoing Deepavali celebrations. Thereafter, a youth was beaten up.
Soon, a group of over a dozen youth started throwing stones at vehicles near Nath Pai Circle and damaged them.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Anupam Agarwal and other officials, along with additional forces, rushed to the scene of violence and took control of the situation.
Also, the police have stepped up security at various communally sensitive localities to prevent the Shahpur incident spreading to other areas and further harming communal harmony and peace.
Small Scale Industries and district in-charge Minister Satish L. Jarkiholi said that this and other such incidents witnessed in the recent past were a result of personal issues which communal elements made use of to create hurdles in the development and progress of the city.
Peace meeting
Later, in the afternoon, a peace committee meeting of leaders of two religious communities was held at the Shahpur police station.
Leaders from both sides promised to work for restoring communal harmony and peace.
