By IANS,
Moradabad : Curfew in various parts of Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad city was Saturday relaxed for nine hours for the first time since it was clamped Aug 9 following a communal clash that left 13 people injured, police said.
“With normalcy returning to the city, we decided to further relax the curfew from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in all trouble-hit areas coming under the six police stations. Vehicles were also permitted to run on the roads during the stipulated time,” Superintendent of Police (City) Piyush Srivastava told reporters in Moradabad, some 300 km from Lucknow.
“Senior police and district administration officials are maintaining a regular vigil in the trouble-hit areas. We are also taking help of social organisations for restoring peace and tranquility in the city,” he added.
Curfew was imposed in the areas under Nagphani, Galshaheed, Kotwali, Majhola, Katghar and Mughalpura areas late Tuesday after violence broke out in Dasarai locality following heated arguments between some Kanwariyas (Lord Shiva’s devotees) and local Muslims.
Members from both communities Tuesday resorted to firing, stone-pelting and fought pitched battles with police. A police outpost in Aslatpur area and several vehicles were also set on fire.
According to police, around 50 people from both the communities have been arrested till now for their alleged involvement in violence.