Four people arrested after violent clashes in Phagwara

Four people were arrested today in connection with a clash that took place on Friday night between the members of a Dalit outfit and Hindu groups, police said.

Inderjit Karwal, state vice-president of Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray), Deepak Bhardwaj, Punjab unit president of the Hindu Suraksha Samiti, Shivi Batta, president of another Shiv Sena outfit and one Raju Chahal were arrested today, the police said.

They were arrested from their respective houses this morning, the police said, adding that they were presented before a magistrate who sent them to judicial custody.

Meanwhile, both Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tayyab and SSP Sandeep Sharma met members of the groups, pleading them to maintain peace.

Heavy security force continued to be deployed in the area, the police said.

Liquor vends remained closed here today as a precautionary measure.

The incident took place when members of a group allegedly installed a board carrying a picture of B R Ambedkar at Gol Chowk here on National Highway (NH)-1.

They also tried to rename it Savidhan Chowk. However, members of another group objected to it and that led to a clash between them, the police said.

Mobile internet services were suspended yesterday in Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and SBS Nagar districts to check rumour-mongering on social media.