Umreth observes bandh to protest ‘molestation’

Vadodara/Anand: Umreth town of Anand district remained tense on Tuesday following a bandh call given by some local Hindu outfits to protest against the alleged molestation of two minor girls and complaint of rioting filed against some people.
All the major markets remained closed following the call given by Umreth Sangharsh Samiti (USS)
“Two minor girls had gone out to have icecream on Saturday night. After parking their vehicle, one of the girls was having her ice gola when a boy from a group of five boys from minority community allegedly pulled her hand and she fell down,” alleged Ketan Vakil of USS.
“Parents of both the girls went to the Umreth police station on Sunday to file a complaint, but their case was not registered,” alleged Vakil, who along with a large gathering also submitted a memorandum at mamlatdar office demanding strict action against the accused.
Anand district superintendent of police Praveen Kumar, however, refuted allegations that the police did not register the complaint of molestation.
“On Saturday, we received an application but there were no allegations of molestation. The application mentioned that two unknown people had engaged in verbal dispute with the girls on Saturday night,” he told TOI on Tuesday.
“Since Sunday, when their lawyer appeared on behalf of the parents and the girls, we have been asking them to register a complaint but till date no none has been submitted,” he said.
On Sunday, members from both the communities came to loggerheads near Chandramauleshwar Mahadev area in Umreth town but the riotous mob was dispersed by the cops.
Police has registered two separate complaints of rioting in connection with the incident. Based on a complainant, the cops have arrested five people from the minority community. One of the five accused then lodged a cross complaint against five from the majority community.
Police are verifying details with the help of CCTV footage, human intelligence and technical inputs.
“We have to take complaints if we are approached by complainants after verification. We have, so far, made seven arrests in connection to rioting. Since, some of the shops were closed, we could not verify other information but will do so soon,” he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in the town to avert escalation of tension and peace committee meetings have also been organized.