One dead, 14 injured after two groups clash in Sambhajinagar

CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: One person succumbed to a bullet wound while 14 policemen, including five officers, were injured as two groups indulged in stone pelting and arson during a clash over an objectionable slogan in Kiradpura area of the city around 1am on Thursday.
Thirteen vehicles, including police vehicles, were also torched by the rioters. The situation, however, was peaceful and under control on Thursday as shops, business establishments operated as usual.
Police have also stepped up its presence in the area to ensure that there was no untoward fallout. Eleven rounds were fired by police, besides using tear gas and plastic bullets to quell the rioting mob and control the situation.
Inspector Ashok Bhandare of Jinsi police station, which covers the violence-hit area, told TOI, "One of the injured, who had sustained a bullet wound and had to be put on a life support system in a private hospital, succumbed to his injury on Thursday evening. His body has been moved to the Government Medical College and Hospital for autopsy."
On Thursday morning, the Jinsi police booked around 500 people on the charge of attempt to murder, rioting, arson, unlawful assembly, deterring public servants from performing official duty, damaging public and religious properties, among others.
Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Kulwant Kumar Sarangal, while talking to TOI, said, "We have sent forces, including two companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), and two superintendent of police rank officers to the spot. A detailed inquiry into the incident will be carried out and suspects involved in the rioting and arson will not be spared."
In a report submitted to the state home department, the police stated that the 11 rounds were fired from the service revolvers of two inspector rank officers. Besides, 20 rounds of plastic bullets were fired from a self-loading rifle. A total of 13 vehicles belonging to the police and three private vehicles were either torched or completely damaged by the rioters.
City police commissioner Nikhil Gupta said, "At 11.30 pm on Wednesday there was an altercation between two groups comprising four youths each. People started gathering at the site, but our policemen dispersed them and one of the groups left the spot. An hour later, a mob gathered and started pelting stones at the police. Our men were then outnumbered and could not disperse the mob. We summoned backup units as I reached the spot along with other senior officers and we used force to disperse the mob. Between 3.30am and 4am we were able to disperse the mob and bring the situation under control."
Gupta added that eight teams have been formed to identify the suspects and arrest them. DCP Shilwant Nandedkar said some of the suspects spotted in CCTV footage have been identified and detained.
Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel on Thursday told reporters that despite informing senior police officers, an additional force as well as the fire brigade took more than three hours to reach the spot and bring the situation under control. He alleged that the police force reached the area, but it stayed at a crossroad a few hundred meters away from the spot of violence.
In reply, Gupta said, "Before responding to any situation, it is important to assess the situation so that innocents do not gets hurt due to use of force. The suspects even had damaged streetlights, making the area completely dark. After assessing the situation, we entered, and it took us about 45 minutes to disperse the mob and bring it under control."