17 held for clash in C'garh

Seventeen people were today arrested in connection with the clash between two communities in Dhamtari city of Chhattisgarh, in which four persons, including a policeman, had got injured, police said.
"Seventeen people were today arrested for indulging in stone-pelting and ransacking some commercial establishments in the city last night during the clash between people of two communities," Inspector General of Police, Raipur Range, GP Singh told PTI.
The clash had broken out last evening in Kotwali police station area in Dhamtari, which lies around 77 km from Raipur, when two groups came to blows over marriage of a youth with a girl, both of whom belonged to two different communities.

Following the conflict, police had invoked section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the city banning unlawful assembly of people.
"Heavy security cover has been put in place across the city to prevent any untoward incident and the situation is under control now. Patrolling has been intensified in sensitive areas," Singh said.
Meanwhile, Dhamtari Collector Bhim Singh said that a shop and some vehicles were damaged during the clash, but the situation now is completely under control.

Large number of security personnel from neighbouring districts are stationed in the city to keep the situation under control and talks are on with people of both the communities to bring back normalcy in the area, he added.

Additional Superintendent of Police Ashok Pipre was among four people, who had sustained injuries in the incident, Singh said, adding, "Their condition is stable."
Further investigation is on.