Clashes in two Bihar districts on Muharram

Clashes erupted late on Muharram Tuesday in a couple of districts in Bihar where mobs vandalised vehicles, indulged in stone-pelting and torched a police vehicle.

In West Champaran district, members of two communities came to blows during a Tajia procession in Jokaha village under Manuapul police station area, Superintendent of Police Jayantkant said at Bettiah, the district headquarters.

He said the mobs vandalized nearly half a dozen vehicles and when a police party reached the spot, it was attacked and its jeep set afire.

Subsequently, District Magistrate Nilesh Ramchandra and I rushed to the site of the incident with a heavy police contingent which dispersed the mob. Fire brigade was called to douse the flames that had engulfed the jeep. Tough action will be taken against those who indulged in mischief," the SP said.

In Vaishali district, a scuffle broke out between members of two communities at the Beladam village in Baligaon police station area when the Tajia procession was crossing a Kali temple, SP Manavjeet Singh Dhillon said at the district headquarters in Hajipur.

He said police was deployed along the route and the situation was brought under control swiftly though stone-pelting left three persons including a 17-year-old girl injured who were administered first aid at a primary health centre.

We patrolled the area along with District Magistrate Udita Singh. Instructions have been issued to lodge FIRs after identifying trouble-makers on both sides. Additional force has been deployed in the area as a precautionary measure, he added.