Violence breaks out in the Walled City.
Accident causes tension in Dudheshwar area; eight cops injured

Violence broke out in the Dudheshwar road area on Thursday after a man was run over by a Maruti van. Police lobbed 103 teargas shells to disperse the mob, which was indulging in arson, looting and stone throwing following the accident. Eight policemen were injured in the incident.

By the time the situation was brought under control, the mob had already set fire to four shops — two barber shops, a galla and a bakery — and an autorickshaw.

Security has been tightened in other sensitive areas of the city including Dariapur, Bapunagar, Khadia, Shahpur Bahai Centre, Rakhial and Kalupur.

Clashes erupted after one Manojkumar Rameshbhai Koshti, a resident of Ashokpura ni Jhali on Dudeshwar Road, was run over by a Maruti van late on Wednesday night. Manoj was returning from a temple in the area with his friend Navin Rameshbhai Koshti. The police later arrested Nasir, the driver of the van.

Police say that Manojkumar and one Gunabhai Rabari living in the area were old enemies.

As Nasir and Gunabhai were friends, police suspect that Nasir may have deliberately hit Manoj kumar with an intention to kill him.

However, residents of the area have a different story to tell. People of one community say Manoj’s death was related to the burning of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s effigy in the area about 6.30 pm.

People of another community say that after burning Sharif’s effigy, a mob from the area overturned an omlette larri and gheraoed a Maruti van, which was passing by. The residents claimed that to save him-self, Nasir, the driver, tried to speed away and in the melee, he ran over Manoj.

There was tension in the area since early morning when the body of Manoj was brought to the area after a post-mortem. But the actual trouble started after the cremation of Manoj when about 200 persons returning from the crematorium were allegedly attacked on the way back home.

As they retaliated, the situation became worse, forcing the police to burst teargas shells. Police also searched a place of worship from where heavy stone throwing was reported.

An officer said the police had apprehended trouble and sent two vans to the cremation ground to transport people safely to their homes, but the residents did not use the vans.

Tension still prevails in the area though curfew has not been imposed.

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Compiled from local news media