Tense Patdi observes bandh continuously on second day

Surendranagar district’s Patdi village observed complete strike on continuously second day following a death of Hindu Thakor youth attacked by a group of Muslims.

Hindus in angry mood pelted stones over houses of Muslims involved in attack on Hindu youth.

Patdi’s Hemant Thakor was attacked by group of Muslims on 5 March after verbal argument over occupying seat at a circus show. This had triggered a clash between two communities on 6 March.

Hemant was taken to hospital in Ahmedabad for treatment where he died yesterday. Traditionally women do not take part in funeral procession, but yesterday even village women joined Hemant’s funeral after which the incidents of stone pelting compelled local police to lobb a couple of rounds of teargas shells to control the crowds.

Fresh communal clash broke out today in Patdi town of Gujarat’s Surendranagar district after a Hindu youth, who was attacked by a group of local Muslims on 6 March, died today at a hospital in Ahmedabad.

Police rounded up more than 50 persons from Patdi and brought them to Dasada police station to control the situation.

The culprits Anwar Riyaz Pathan, Iqbal Abu Vora, Sakir Ibrahim Khan, Inayat Khan Ibrahim Khan, Chatur alias Slim Daval, Abbas Abdul Mohammad Khan, Abbas Abdul Mohammad Khan’s son, and Abbad Abdul Mohammad Khan’s another son are arrested. One culprit, the son of Abbas Abdul Mohammad Khan’s driver’s son is still at large.