Gujarat: 10 held over provocative social media post results in communal clash

Ten people have been arrested in connection with a communal clash in Gujarat’s Patan district which left many injured following a contentious social media post.

It’s not yet clear what triggered the clash at Balisana town on the night of July 16 (Sunday), police said the altercation started over Bollywood movie The Kerala Story.

“We have so far arrested 10 persons belonging to two communities. Of them, eight from one side were arrested on Monday while two from the other side, including one Krish Patel, were arrested on Tuesday,” said inspector J S Chaudhary of Balisana police station.

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Cases have been registered against the 10 accused under various charges, including rioting, assault and attempt to murder, said Chaudhary.

As part of the investigation on Monday, the police took some of the arrested accused to the Masjid Chowk area in Balisana where the incident occurred.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police KK Pandya, the situation in the town is under control.

“Some were upset because someone had posted sensitive stuff on social media. This post eventually led to a communal clash on Sunday night. Eight persons were injured in the clash. We have taken complaints from both sides,” said Pandya.

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As per a first information report (FIR) registered on a complaint by Arif Shaikh, one Krish Patel and Nimesh Patel attacked him and his uncle Ilyas Shaikh despite the fact that a compromise had already been reached between Ilyas Shaikh and a youngster over the latter’s social media post.

Arif Shaikh alleged that the Patel duo attacked them with a steel rod and threw stones at them.

In his complaint, one Meetkumar Patel alleged that a mob of around 35 people, including the Shaikh duo, attacked him and five of his friends at Masjid Chowk with the intention to kill them over a social media post uploaded by a village youngster.

As per their FIR, Shaikh and others surrounded Patel and five of his friends at Masjid Chowk on Sunday night over the post and brutally attacked them with sticks, pipes and swords.

(With agency inputs)