New Delhi: Four people were killed and 13 others were injured, six of them seriously, when members of two communities clashed over a place of worship, opening fire and pelting stones, after which indefinite curfew was imposed in five police station areas in Aligarh on Thursday.
The dispute occurred over the use of loudspeakers in a temple. Authorities have sounded a red alert throughout the state in the wake of the incidents and security enhanced at all the communally-sensitive places.
Inspector General, Agra Range, Rizwan Ahmed, said that two persons were brought dead to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, while two others succumbed to injuries sustained in the clashes.
The members of a particular community removed the decorative lights put up at a temple on Wednesday evening in view of navratri festival, leading to a clash with members of the other side in Sabzi Mandi and Dahi Wali Gali areas.
The two sides hurled stones at each other and fired from rooftops, District Magistrate, R K Singh said. Nearly 1,000 Rapid Action Force and state paramilitary personnel, along with a large number of police personnel, have been deployed and patrolling intensified to maintain law and order, he said.
Principal Secretary, Home, S K Agarwal said curfew had been imposed in Kotwali, Delhi Gate, Banna Devi, Gandhi Park and Sasni Gate police station areas. He said some people had been arrested in connection with the communal violence.
The condition of six of the injured persons was critical, hospital sources said. "The situation in the town is a little tense but under control," Ahmed said, adding, "We have sought reinforcement of CRPF and PAC personnel."
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