KARIMNAGAR: Celebrations over India’s victory over Pakistan in World Cup cricket semi-final at Mohali turned violent here when two groups clashed with each other leaving several persons, including policemen, injured on Wednesday night.
A tense situation prevailed across the district yesterday with additional police forces keeping tight vigil at sensitive places.The moment India won the match, thousands of youths took to the streets.One such group reached the historical Clock Tower where another group was already there and picked up quarrel over some issue.Soon both groups came to blows and stone-throwing followed. Vehicles, streetlights and other property were damaged.Violence spread in no time to other parts of the district and stone-throwing was reported from different localities.Policemen led by superintendent of police (admn) RN Ammi Reddy tried to bring the situation under control but some of them, who were attacked with stones, suffered head injuries.Vehicles, including those belonging to the police, parked at different places were damaged and one group even targeted shops at Rajiv Chowk and Naka Chowrasta.The situation could be brought under control only by early morning.However, the district remained tense this morning and some scuffle between a group and policemen was reported from the Rajiv Chowk area. Across the district, police pickets have been posted.‘’We have deployed additional forces to control the situation which is right now under control,’’ DIG (Karimnagar Range) Sanjay Kumar Jain told Express.However, a group of persons climbed the clock tower in the afternoon, removed the national flag and planted a religious flag.The police resorted to lathicharge and dispersed the mob.Fearing yet another round of clashes, most of the business establishments remained shut and even banks were closed.
Indian Express
