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Stones were hurled and at least 18 police personnel, including three officers, were injured after protests in Maharashtra against the alleged communal violence in Tripura took an ugly turn. The state government has appealed to the public to maintain peace and 20 FIRs have also been registered in the matter.

The incidents of stone-pelting mainly occurred in Amravati, Malegaon and Nanded city during the rallies taken out by some Muslim organisations on Friday.

At least ten police personnel, including three officers, were injured in Malegaon. In Nanded city, eight police personnel had sustained injuries, a police official said, adding that the mob had damaged four police vehicles.

Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said, “Muslims across the state had taken out a protest march today against the violence in Tripura. During this, stone pelting was done in Nanded, Malegaon, Amaravati and some other places. I appeal to all Hindus and Muslims to maintain peace.”

“Situation under control. I am personally monitoring it through senior police officials. If someone is found guilty, they won’t be spared. We need to maintain social harmony, I appeal to all. I also appeal to the police to control the situation with restraint and maintain peace.”

In Amravati city in east Maharashtra, over eight thousand people gathered outside the district collector’s office to submit a memorandum demanding that atrocities against the minority community should be stopped, officials said.

When people were leaving after submitting the memorandum, stone-pelting took place at three places between Chitra Chowk and Cotton Market under the limits of the Kotwali police station.

Kotwali Police has registered 11 FIRs under various charges including rioting. Ten persons were arrested, an official told PTI on Saturday.

Additional police force, including two companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), has been deployed in Amravati to avoid any untoward incident, he said, adding that the situation is peaceful now.

Stones were also hurled during a protest march held on Friday afternoon in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in the Nashik district. Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the mob. A police vehicle was damaged in the incident.

The identification of accused persons is going on through CCTVs and other sources, he said.

In Nanded city in the Marathwada region, eight police personnel had sustained injuries in stone-pelting, a police official said, adding that the mob had damaged four vehicles of police.

So far, three FIRs have been registered against unidentified persons and four persons are detained, he said.

Two FIRs were registered in Washim and one in the Yavatmal district for stone pelting, the official said, adding that the overall situation is peaceful now.

Raza Academy, a Muslim organisation, handed over a memorandum to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Those affected by the violence in Tripura should be given compensation and the mosques which were damaged should be reconstructed, it had demanded.

A bandh was also observed in Muslim-dominated areas of Mumbai including Bhendi Bazar, Mohammad Ali Road, Kurla as well as Mumbra and Bhiwandi in Thane.

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India today

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