Curfew was relaxed for two hours from 6 am on Sunday only for women in Raisen district headquarters’ Kotwali Police Station limits where it was clamped on Friday following a dispute between two groups, police said.
During the relaxation, women faced considerable vexation in purchasing items of daily use. Milk was in short supply and sold at high prices at a couple of locations. Stale vegetables were available at double the usual prices. Some women appealed to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to send relief.Emergency services are paralysed and not a single medical store was open. The District Hospital is worst-affected as patients and their kin neither have milk to drink nor food to eat. Hoshangabad zone inspector general of police, Ajay Sharma told ‘The Pioneer,’ “Situation is peaceful and under control. No untoward incidents were been reported on Sunday.”
Clash took place on Friday evening after two youths from separate communities got into a heated argument over a seat on a Raisen-bound bus. After the bus reached the town, 50km from state capital Bhopal, the youths called their supporters and the matter then soon got out of control. Mob that assembled from either sides engaged in stone-pelting and arson. Four shops and five vehicles were set on fire while several other shops and vehicles parked were also damaged in stone pelting District collector J K Jain ordered indefinite curfew under section 144 of CrPC in Kotwali police station area soon after the clashes.
Police lathi-charged rioters and lobbed teargas shells before being forced to fire in air as situation got out of control. Three people who sustained injuries in the police firing were referred to Bhopal for further treatment where they are said to be in a stable condition. Situation in the town is tense but under control, now said administration officials.