Tension in Karnataka city as two groups indulge in stone pelting

Belagavi, Nov 16: Tension gripped this North Karnataka city when two groups belonging to different communities indulged in stone pelting late Wednesday night leaving 15 people, including police officers injured.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of winter Karnataka Legislature Session being held in the city and police said the reason behind the incident was being ascertained. Commissioner of police T G Krishna Bhat and two other police officers who rushed to the disturbed area with police force suffered minor injuries due to stone pelting, while ten people among the public were also injured in the incident. About ten vehicles, mostly two-wheelers, were set on fire while some police vehicles were damaged in stone throwing incident. The disturbance was reported from sensitive Kadak Galli, Kotwal Galli, Kanjar Galli, Badakal Galli and surrounding areas in the teeming Market area of the city. DCP (Crime) Amarnath Reddy told mediapersons that the situation was under control and the affected area remained peaceful. He said police would soon nab the miscreants as the two groups had been identified. Police deployed large number of force, including KSRP platoons, in the sensitive areas of the city as precautionary to avoid any untoward incidents, he said. Local people said that the Winter session going on at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS) and heavy police force was deployed there. Miscreants took advantage of that and tried to create disturbance. UNI