New Delhi: Gujarat Police on Monday informed that a minor road accident led to a communal clash in the Vadodara city's Raopura locality.
The incident occurred late Sunday night wherein rioters threw stones, vandalised a shrine, and damaged some vehicles, news agency PTI reported the police as saying.
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According to a Karelibaug police station official, the tensions ensued following a road accident involving two-wheelers belonging to people from two communities in the Raopura locality.
The matter escalated and people from both communities gathered in no time began hurling stones at each other in the Karelibaug locality, neighbouring the Raopura area.
A mob vandalised the idol at a shrine located on the roadside, two autorickshaws, and many two-wheelers, the police official stated.
Shamsher Singh, Commissioner of Police, Vadodara city, said that 3 people got injured and were admitted to the hospital. "Police are patrolling in the city," he informed, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Police have arrested 19 people so far in connection with the incident.
As per PTI, an FIR was registered at Karelibaug police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for rioting, unlawful assembly, holding deadly weapons, defiling the place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class against unidentified groups of people.
"Police rushed to the area and brought the situation under control. We carried out a combing operation in the area and arrested 15 persons in this connection during the night," said DCP (Zone 4), Panna Momaya.
PTI cited officials as putting the total number of arrested persons at 19.
Officials said that security has been beefed up in the area and the situation is under control now.
The incident comes after Gujarat was among the four states that saw communal tensions amid Ram Navami celebrations recently.
Communal clashes between members of two communities were reported in two cities in the state, Khambhat, and Himmatnagar.
One person was killed in the communal clash in Khambhat.
(With Agency Inputs)