Police fired six rounds in air and lobbed a couple of tear-gas shells after communal clashes erupted in Borsad town of Anand district of Gujarat today.

There was no casualty but more than 6 Hindus including one police constable were injured in the clashes.

It is said that the incident took place after a small bike accident in communally sensitive Bhobhafali Masjid area, in which a Hindu boy was beaten by Muslim people. Muslim crowd set his bike and another vehicle on fire.

Following the incident, people of two communities entered into an altercation which led to stone pelting, soda bottles throwing and armed attacks.

Roots of the communal tension in this town are possibly in Saturday’s incident when a cow was killed in the town by the Muslims.

On Saturday morning, Police Inspector H.K.Patel received a message that some persons were taking a cow to Rabari Chakla area suspiciously at 5:30 am. Following this message, the police team reached Rabari Chakla mutton market where, a body of fresh killed cow was found.

When details of cow killing reached to the people in the town, communal tension started building up. Extra police force from other areas of the district and State reserve policemen were called in the town within some hours to maintain law and order.

Borsad police had arrested Nabibhai Kadarbhai Qureshi and his wife Jauharbibi on Saturday itself. Both confessed that they had bought a cow from Napa village at a coast of Rs7000. They hired a tempo and brought the cow to Borsad for killing. A cow was killed in Rabari Chakla area, which is an illegal act according to bovine slaughter banning law in Gujarat. Arrested Muslim couple also named three more people involved in this act. On this lead, police had started investigation about owner of the cow and owner of the tempo in which a cow was transported. Muslim community was not happy with quick police actions against the people of their community involved in cow killing, while Hindu community was catching anger over killing of a cow.

In last one month period, at least 15 cows have gone missing in Borsad. Stray cows near Khappar Mata area, Mahakaleshwar Mahadev, Silver point were found missing. Last month three Muslim cow thieves fled away after they were challenged when attempting to stole cows.