Amravati: A 4-day curfew has been imposed in Maharashtra’s Amravati city which witnessed fresh violence earlier this week, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said. Moreover, it has also been ordered to shut the internet services so that rumours are not spread, the minister added. On Saturday, the city Commissioner of Police Arti Singh said, Internet services in the city will remain suspended for 3 days so as to prevent the spread of rumours which can fuel violence.
The latter were protesting against the rallies held by Muslim organisations on Friday to condemn the recent flare-up in Tripura. The Maharashtra Police had to deploy 4 companies of the State Reserve Police Force and additional 125 police personnel to rein in the mob. The police official also announced the directive regarding the curfew on Saturday. Against the backdrop of back-to-back incidents of stone-pelting on Friday and Saturday, additional police commissioner Sandip Patil issued orders imposing curfew in the city limits of Amravati under sections 144(1), (2), (3) of the CrPc to avoid any untoward incidents.
Except for medical emergencies, people are not allowed to come out of houses. A gathering of more than five people is not allowed, as per the order. On Saturday morning, hundreds of people, many of them holding saffron flags in their hands and raising slogans, came out on streets in the Rajkamal Chowk area of eastern Maharashtra city. Some members of the mob hurled stones at shops in Rajkamal Chowk and other places, the police official said. On Friday, stone-pelting was reported during rallies taken out by Muslim organisations, to protest against incidents in Tripura, at Amravati, Nanded, Malegaon, Washim and Yavatmal.