Fresh Violence in Gujarat

A 30-year-old woman was stripped in public and stabbed to death in Vejal-pur area of Ahmedabad on Sunday as violence continued unabated in Gujarat. Fresh violence has erupted in Bhavnagar, Jambusar (Bharuch district) and Prantij (Sabarkantha district) towns and indefinite curfew has been imposed there.

30-year-old Mumtazbano, whose maiden name was Geeta before she married a Muslim, was stopped by miscreants at Vejalpur when she was going out with her husband on a scooter. She was stripped and stabbed to death. Her husband has been admitted to the V.S. Hospital with serious stab injuries. The Rapid Action Force personnel have taken over the area which has been placed under an indefinite curfew.

Confirming Mumtazbano’s brutal killing at Vejalpur, deputy commissioner of police (Zone-I) V.M. Parghi told The Asian Age that the incident occurred when a mob chased the woman and her husband and managed to corner them. The mob beat up her husband and stabbed him while some miscreants stripped the woman and stabbed her several times.

“The incident spark-ed communal tension in the entire area and heavy stone throwing was reported by the time Vejalpur police rushed to the spot. The victim’s husband Munna Salim has been admitted to the V.S. Hospital where he is recuperating. We imposed curfew in the area since afternoon and the situation is still tense.”

Heavy stone throwing between mobs of both communities was also reported and some vehicle and shops were also stoned and set ablaze. Curfew continues in Shahpur, Dariapur, Gaekwad Haveli, Kalupur, Karanj and Vejalpur. Night curfew remains in force at Dani Limda.

One more person was stabbed in Kagdapith area but the injury is reported to be minor.
Several incidents of arson, loot, stabbing and burning of shops was also reported from several districts, including Bhavnagar, Kheda, Sabarkantha, Chota Udepur, Jambhusar and Waghodia taluka. However, the state police could not give any accurate figure on the number of stabbed victims.

Unconfirmed reports of mass stabbing incidents were reported from Bhavnagar city on Sunday afternoon and incidents of stone throwing and police firing was also reported. Army staged a flag march to bring the situation under control. In Gariadhar, near Bhavnagar, two shops were also set ablaze. This is the first time the Army has been summoned in Bhavnagar.

Loot, arson and setting shops ablaze was also reported from Kheda district while six shops were set ablaze in Prantij near Sabarkantha. At least three incidents of stabbing were reported from the area.

Violence was also reported from Waghodia taluka of Vadodara district late on Saturday night as six private transport buses were torched by a mob of 200 persons. Minor injuries are reported in the incident. About 10 persons travelling in the buses received minor injuries in the incident.

The police also had to open fire to disperse rioting mobs at Jambusar in Bharuch and curfew has been imposed. Two more persons accused in the Sabarmati Express carnage at Godhra were also arrested from the region, according to police sources. Government Railway Police raided a religious place located in the Signal Faliya near the railway station and arrested two persons for their involvement in the Sabarmati Express carnage.

So far, the railway police has arrested 64 persons in the case. The two arrested are Irfan Siraj Pado, 19, and Casim Abdul Sattar, alias Casim Biryani, 22.

Meanwhile, all tazia processions on occasion of Muharram were called off by respective tazia committees to prevent the law and order situation from deteriorating further. The police said that there is no question of any increased security or police bandobast because all the police, Army, BSF and SRP personnel are on the roads to check any untoward incidents.

Republished from The Asian Age