Parts of Aurangabad remain shut to protest riot accused's

Residents of few localities in riot-hit Aurangabad in Maharashtra today observed a bandh to protest arrest of one Laxminarayan Bakharia alias Lachchu Pahelwan, the main accused in the case, yesterday.

A squad of the special investigation team (SIT) had arrested Bakharia on the charges of arson and rioting late last night.

It was suspected that Bakharia had taken money from some people to orchestrate rioting and arson so as to vacate some building where shops and kiosks are located, a police official had said.

Shops and other commercial establishments in Dhawani mohalla, Rajabazar, and parts of Gulmandi remained shut till this afternoon in protest.

The bandh passed off peacefully, police said.

Heavy bandobast was put in place in these areas to prevent any communal flare-up.

On May 11, Aurangabad, located in Marathwada region, witnessed violent clashes between two groups allegedly over illegal water connections, in which two persons--a 65-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy--were killed, and around 60 others, including a dozen policemen, injured.

Several shops and scores of vehicles were also torched.

Police have so far arrested over 50 persons, including two corporators of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation-- -Rajendra Janjal of Shiv Sena and Feroz Khan of All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

A video had gone viral on Saturday, which purportedly showed Janjal being part of the mob that was torching vehicles and damaging public property in Raja Bazaar area, a police official had said.

Khan had allegedly instigated the mob for violence in which Assistant Commissioner of Police Govardhan Kolekar was injured. He was airlifted to Mumbai for treatment.