AHMEDABAD: Surat police in a swift action carried out a search operation in the Sayedpura area and arrested 27 miscreants, who are alleged to be involved in stone pelting on the Ganesh Pandal in the area on Sunday night.
According to an eyewitness, a few children were playing near the Ganesh Pandal, which triggered the violence. These children returned to their homes, and a few minutes later a group of people came to the Pandal and started stone pelting on the Pandal and fled away from the scene.
Sources said miscreants were minor and they had come in an auto-rickshaw from a distance. Post this incident a group had rushed and started pelting stones, Police had to resort to tear gas and lathi charge to disperse mobs.
The stone-pelting news spread and within a few minutes, hundreds of people reached the Sayedpura police station and Gheroed the police station.
Sources told the media that the crowd was angry and chanted Ganpati songs, it was a hard time for the police to control protestors.
Large numbers of police were deployed in the area and night combing and search operations started to find miscreants. By midnight, six youths were rounded up by the police.
Commissioner of Police Anupamsinh Gehlot later told the media that they have video clips of stone pelting, and are also getting CCTV footage. He said that each and everyone involved in the crime would be arrested. More than 1000 police personnel are deployed in the area and the situation is brought under control.
Drones are deployed in the area to track miscreants and their moves. Some video clips are in circulation in which local police are seen breaking the doors to enter into houses to detain miscreants.
The Police Commissioner also assured the people that those involved in stone pelting and conspirators will not be spared. Police have summoned parents of minor children who were involved in stone pelting which triggered tension in the area.
Surat is the hometown and the constituency of Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghvi, who had rushed to the spot, and assured of action against those responsible.
Speaking to the media, Sanghvi said no one will be spared and they have learned that miscreants were pelting stones from the terrace of a house and some were hiding inside a house locked from outside.
The state government has also asked for a report of illegal construction in the Sayedpura area and action will be taken against illegal construction.
During the day, the Surat Municipal Corporation Team equipped with JCB reached the Sayedpura area and demolished illegal construction in the surrounding area of the Sayedpura police Chawky area.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajdeep Sinh told the media that enough police personnel were deployed in the area and they are also providing protection to Municipal Corporation staff that are carrying out demolition in the area