Some areas of Old City saw tension and violence Monday night after two groups clashed in Sabjibasthi under the Kulsumpura police station limits. The attackers pelted stones on each other and then on police officials who came to restore order. They even set fire to seven shops and several houses at Jiyaguda.
An assistant commissioner of police (ACP) and a sub-inspector were hospitalised with injuries after they were hit by stones. They are said to be out of danger. Meanwhile, police took into custody 20 people and clamped section 144 in the area to prevent any more untoward incidents.
According to cops, the tension erupted on Saturday, the day of Bakrid, after a section of people set ablaze a religious flag in the Sabjibasthi. On Monday, around 10.20 p.m., another section of people burnt some religious photographs in retaliation to the earlier incident.
The first group, which noticed the incident quickly gathered forces and entered into an argument, which soon turned into a clash involving stone pelting.
Nearby residents alerted the police. Goshamahal ACP D Srinivas and other cops rushed to the spot and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob. The angry mob then pelted stones on the policemen. ACP Srinivas and Kulsumpura sub inspector Abdul received serious injuries. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Stephen Ravindra rushed to the spot and shifted the duo to Osmania General Hospital.
The clashes and tension spread to other areas in the Old City like Hiyaguda, Mirchowk, Tappachabutra. Miscreants set fire to the seven shops and houses by pouring petrol. Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma directed the DCP to rush additional forces to the spot. Th main roads leading to Charminar and others places were closed and traffic movement was diverted in the night.