Curfew relaxed for second day in Nawada

A week after communal clashes erupted in Bihar's Nawada town, curfew was relaxed for 18 hours Friday for the second consecutive day, with the situation returning to normal, police said.

"In view of no fresh communal clashes Thursday, after curfew was relaxed from morning to midnight, curfew was relaxed again Friday as the situation is returning to normal," Nawada District Magistrate Adesh Titarmare said.

Curfew was imposed Monday following clashes between two communities that claimed two lives and left six people injured.

The district magistrate said the administration had made elaborate security arrangements during curfew relaxation, and would maintain strict vigil.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Amit Lodha of the Criminal Investigation Department of state police is leading the investigation into the communal violence in Nawada. Four police complaints have been lodged in this connection.

Officials suspect two local leaders involved in illegal stone quarrying in the district of inciting communal hatred as part of business rivalry, a police official said.

The National Security Act would be invoked for preventive detention of troublemakers and swift action, officials said.

According to police officials, more than 50 people have so far been arrested in connection with the violence.

Police resorted to firing Monday when a mob attacked the Bundelkhand police station in Nawada, about 150 km from here.

Communal tension erupted Friday after an altercation over the menu of a roadside eatery took place, between a group of kanwarias (Hindu pilgrims) and another community. Clashes continued Monday after the death of a 20-year-old youth who had earlier sustained injuries in police firing.