In The Name Of Allah, The Most Beneficent and Merciful

http://headlines.sify.com/904news1.html

Police said Tuesday they had arrested 14 people, most of them RSS activists, in
connection with Gujarat riots.

The group arrested included a member of BJP, Kishan Khubchand Korani and
Parmendrasinh Rajput and Babubhai Patel.

"All three have been arrested for unleashing violence on the Naroda Patiya
neighbourhood in Ahmedabad city where over 70 Muslims were massacred on
February 28," assistant commissioner of police Chudsama said.

The other 11 activists arrested were from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
and two from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.

"All the accused will stand trial in the Gujarat High Court on counts of
rioting, murder and arson," Chudsama said.

©AFP 2000.All rights reserved. This material should not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or distributed. All reproduction or redistribution is
expressly forbidden without the prior written agreement of AFP.

Amnesty projects gloomy picture of rights situation in India
PTI
New Delhi, May 28

http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/290502/dlnat03.asp
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Amnesty International on Tuesday projected a gloomy picture of
the human rights situation in India accusing armed groups, security
forces and police of abuses in Kashmir and charging the state and
some Hindu political groups with victimisation of Muslims in the
aftermath of the September 11 terrorist strikes in USA.
In Kashmir, human rights abuses continued to be committed both by
armed groups, police and security forces on a large scale, the London-
based rights group said in its annual report released here by eminent
jurist A G Noorani.

Without making any direct reference to Gujarat, it said the Muslim
community in India became increasingly vulnerable to victimisation
after the September 11 strikes and the December 13 attack on
Parliament.

The victimisation, it alleged, was carried out "by both the state and
some Hindu political groups".

"Tension between police and Muslim groups erupted into rioting in
different parts of the country. Tension also escalated when Hindu
activists began implementing plans to rebuild a temple at a disputed
site at Ayodhya," it said.

Amnesty also expressed serious concern over the continued reports of
abuses by armed groups in many states "including torture and
deliberate killing of civilians."

"In areas of conflict, such as Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East,
hundreds of non-combatants, including children, were killed in
indiscriminate violence," it said.

©Hindustan Times Ltd. 1997. Reproduction in any form is prohibited
without prior permission.

Delhi muslims move to safer areas

The Statesman.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php3?id=10608&type=India&theme=A

May 28. — Many families from the minority community here are “no longer feeling
secure after the Gujarat riots” and have started moving to “safe areas” in the
city. These families have moved not because they experienced any violence or
threats, but because of the “fear psychosis generated by Gujarat”.
Over the last two months, members of the minority community have sold off or
left their houses in areas like Mayur Vihar, Ashram and even “upmarket”
localities like Vasant Vihar and moved house to Zakir Nagar, Batla House and
Joga Bai.
Property dealers in Zakir Nagar say these areas are in demand from “middle
class” members of the minority community whenever there are “communal
disturbances”. “After such episodes there is an increase in the number of
people moving to these pockets,” said Mr Khalid Hussain of Home Planners
Consultants.
One such family, which had moved from Ashram to Zakir Nagar two-and-a-half
months ago, is that of Mohammed Arif, a sales manager in Dynamic Motors. Mr
Arif said he has been staying in Ashram for three years. “But after the
happenings in Gujarat, I was advised by my colleagues to move out. It’s not
that my neighbours were bad but tomorrow if a mob attacks the area there will
be not much that they could have done. At least here (Zakir Nagar) the entire
neighbourhood will be behind me in case of such eventuality.”
Mohammed Nusrat, an LIC agent, thought it wise to sell of his house in Moti
Nagar and shift to Batla House last month. “Delhi is the capital and I do not
expect anything of the scale of Gujarat happening here. But it’s always better
to be on the safe side,” he said.
A “deep sense of insecurity” also led a resident of Janak Puri, Mr Nasim Khan,
to take a three room flat in Zakir Nagar on rent last month. “The majority of
our neighbours in Janak Puri were well educated and would never indulge in
violence. But mob reaction is so unpredictable. In Gujarat, families were
butchered to death by otherwise decent mobs,” he said.
Property dealers in these areas confirm the sudden rise in purchase and rental
deals. “There has been an increase in the number of inquiries from prospective
buyers. Just 15 days back I sold a flat here to an official of New Delhi
Municipal Council who moved here from Mayur Vihar,” said Mr Yamin Saifi, owner
of Sonia Builders in Joga Bai.

Blasts in 3 Ahmedabad buses; 12 injured
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2002 1:21:53 PM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Articleshow.asp?art_id=11356723

AHMEDABAD: Three bomb blasts rocked Ahmedabad on Wednesday morning,
injuring at least 12 people. The bombs were placed on three Ahmedabad
Municipal Transport Corporation buses.

The bombs were placed under the seats in the buses, and exploded
almost simultaneously, police said. Another suspected bomb, a tiffin
box, is currently lying at the Kalupur bus stop, and the city
police's bomb disposal squad was trying to defuse the bomb.

The blasts occurred during peak-hour traffic. The first one was at 10
am in Gita Mandir while the second at 10.05 am in Vasna and the third
at 10.10 am in Gurukul.

The police said crude homemade pipe bombs of low intensity were used.
From the blast site, the police have recovered parts of batteries
used in the bomb's timer and pieces of the pipes used in making the
bomb.

The blast at Gita Mandir, where six commuters were injured, was the
most severe. The rear portion of the bus was ripped apart. "The
injuries were due to shrapnel. Thankfully, it was not an RDX attack.
The toll would have gone up by manifolds then," a police source said.

While there have been no casualties so far, some of the victims are
said to be in critical condition. The police said that there was a
likelihood that the bombs were kept inside the buses at one central
point - possibly in the Gita Mandir bus depot.

The sequence of the blasts raised the spectre of the infamous Mumbai
blasts in 1993, in which thousands of people were killed.

The entire country, including the Capital, has been put on alert. A
Delhi Police officer, confirming that an alert had been sounded, said
security was being beefed up at various pickets. "The force is being
sensitised to be more careful in view of the Ahmedabad blasts," he
said.

Gujarat has been ravaged by a series of sectarian clashes since
February, in which nearly 1,000 people, mostly belonging to the
minority community, have been killed.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Special task force to probe blasts
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:51:51 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11408099

AHMEDABAD: The commissioner of police KR Kaushik, after Wednesday's
string of blasts in city buses, has constituted a special task force
to investigate the incidents.

This follows a decision taken by the state cabinet in Gandhinagar in
this regard.

Activities of the task force will be co-ordinated by deputy
commissioner of police Vikas Sahay.

"We are working on several leads in order to nab the culprits
responsible for these bomb explosions. What is, however, evident is
that the explosions are caused by conspirators who do not want peace
to return to Ahmedabad," said Kaushik.

He added "We were expecting something like this to occur and were
keeping public places like multiplexes and gardens under
surveillance. I also request Amdavadis to keep up vigilance and not
tamper with any suspicious-looking object at public places."

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Blasts send Modi's men running for cover
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:48:06 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11407838

GANDHINAGAR: Wednesday's blasts in Ahmedabad were enough to give the
jitters to the ministers in distant Gandhinagar.

Though the Cabinet expressed "serious concern" about the blasts and
decided to set up a task force to investigate the "terrorist act", it
ended up asking chief secretary G Subba Rao to look into ways to
tighten VVIP security, especially for ministers.

Subba Rao was also asked to work out a fool-proof security mechanism
for Gandhinagar's ministerial enclave and the Secretariat.

A senior bureaucrat told TNN after the Cabinet meeting, "Subba Rao,
in consultation with KPS Gill, additional chief secretary (home)
Ashok Narayan, DGP K Chakravarthi and the Gandhinagar SP have been
assigned the job."

The ministerial enclave in Sector 20 would be "adequately fenced" and
those entering it from the two gates would be "checked". Similar
security arrangements would be worked out for the Secretariat.

Gill had an half-an-hour meeting with the chief minister on the
state's security soon after the news of the blasts came in.

"The ministers' security would be tightened looking into their rank
and requirement," officials said.

Yet, it was not clear whether Chief Minister Narendra Modi would be
forced to accept Z-plus security cover, as directed by the Centre.

"The CM has been resisting it. He says he does not need it. He
doesn't want to cut off his contact with the masses," a source in the
CMO said.

The Cabinet saw several senior ministers from Ahmedabad, particularly
health minister Ashok Bhatt, energy minister Kaushik Patel and
minister of state for food and civil supplies Bharat Barot, insisting
on the urgent need to bring back order.

Modi blamed Pakistan President Musharraf's "provocative speech" for
having instigated "anti-national elements" in Gujarat to resort to
the terrorist act of bomb blasts.

The CM insisted, "This was a terrorist act pure and simple, hence it
should be dealt with more seriously."

Yet, the Cabinet did not act on several ministers' demand for combing
certain areas. "The combing operation is a continuous process. It's
being done wherever necessary and will be done wherever necessary,"
said Cabinet spokesman Purshottam Rupala.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.

Injured recall moments of horror
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:56:14 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11408403

AHMEDABAD: Hari Bharwad, driver of an AMTS bus, had just pulled out
his bus (No.90/6) from the Vasna depot around 10:10 am, getting ready
to take his passengers to Chandkheda.
He recalls, "There was a loud noise followed by smoke, I blacked out
completely and felt a sharp pain on my back", he told TNN just before
being taken to the operation theatre.

The explosion took place in the front end of the bus, but it was
powerful enough to shatter the windscreen at the back.

Payal Thakkar was seated just behind the driver. The bomb was
probably placed under her seat.

"I never realised what happened", she recollected. "I was lying on
the floor watching people screaming and heading for the rear door of
the bus, but could not move". She then realised the cause of her
immobility was a severe injury on her lower back. "There was blood
all over me", she said.

JR Patel, who boarded the crowded AMTS bus (No. 13/3 from Isanpur to
Lal Darwaza) at Ghodasar got seat in the last row of the bus.

"I was suspicious about two persons sitting on my left".

He recalled that the persons were dressed shabbily and behaving
strangely, communicating only through physical gestures.

One of them, Patel said, seemed more than eager to get off the bus
while the other kept on delaying their departure.

"The two finally got off at Jawahar Chowk and I moved in on the seat
vacated by them because it was next to the window," said the 52-year-
old telecom employee, who travels by the same bus every day to
Khanpur, his place of work.

Within 10 minutes of the duo's departure, a blast rocked the bus. It
was 10:05 am and bus was a few yards away from the state transport
depot.

The bomb, kept under Patel's seat, ripped apart the panels at the
rear end of the bus. His lower limbs were punctured with splinters
and the injuries left him bleeding profusely.

Manali Shah (13), who was returning from her cousin's wedding
sustained a severe slash on her left calf in the incident.

She recalled that there was a stampede to get out of the bus.

It was an unlucky day also for the Aahir couple from Viramgam. After
attending the marriage of her brother, Shama Aahir along with her
husband Mahendra Aahir were on a scooter, right behind an AMTS bus
plying near Gurukul.

"Just when the bus reached the Gurukul Tower, there was a loud
explosion at the rear end of the bus and for a second we were
stunned", recalls Mahendra, a police constable in Viramgam. It was
10:10 am.

Ahir lost his balance and fell on the road and his wife fell
unconscious. "There was a commotion and the pungent smell of the
smoke made me feel sick", recalls Shama who gained consciousness at
VS Hospital.

"My eyesight has gone weak", complained the victim.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Night curfew continues
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:47:12 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11407776

AHMEDABAD: Night curfew continues between 11 pm and 6 am at
Kagdapith, Dani Limda, Gaekwad Haveli, Kalupur, Shahpur, Karanj,
Vejalpur, Dariapur, Gomtipur, Saraspur and Amdupura in Sherkotda,
Charodia in Rakhial, Hardasnagar in Bapunagar, Khadia, Madhavpura and
Ranip in Sabarmati.

Restriction on pillion-riding will continue at Khadia, Kalupur,
Shahpur, Dariapur, Karanj and Gaekwad Haveli.

Students and their parents heading towards examination centres are
exempted from this ban.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Attacks On Indian Buses
Sky News
May 28, 2002.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1053113,00.html

At least three bombs have exploded on buses in the riot-hit state of
Gujarat in India.

Police say at least three people have been injured in the blasts in
Ahmedabad, but TV reports said more than 10 were hurt.

The explosions struck in the city's commercial centre just after the
morning rush hour.

"It appears that the bombs...are crudely made bombs and intended to
create a panic," a police officer said.

Rampage

Damage at one of the bomb sites was said to be minor and quickly
cleared by police.

No group has admitted carrying out the attacks, but security forces
have been on high alert for possible strikes by Muslim militants
after the recent violence.

Almost a thousand people have been killed in Gujarat in some of
India's worst Hindu-Muslim violence.

The religious violence has largely been contained in the western
state, but the potential dangers of a Muslim backlash have been
compounded by India's standoff with Pakistan over the disputed
territory of Kashmir.

Burnt alive

Most of the victims have been Muslims, killed by Hindu mobs in
retaliation for an attack on a train in February when 59 Hindus were
burnt alive.

Seven people died in one of the most recent attacks when men hurled
acid-filled light bulbs at each other.

There have also been many stabbings, shootings and mob rampages in
Ahmedabad.

© 2002 BSkyB |

Crude bombs recovered in Godhra
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:50:53 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11408032

GODHRA: Crude explosives and sharp-edged weapons were recovered from
a desolate area of the curfew-bound Godhra town during a combing
operation carried out by police on Wednesday.

Police said the recovery was made from behind a religious place on
the banks of river Mesri.

The explosives recovered from two bags comprised two petrol bombs, 14
crude bombs, three swords and four knives, they added.

Meanwhile, indefinite curfew in Godhra town, clamped last week
following violence, was relaxed for two hours for women and children.

Curfew was relaxed from 11 am to 2 pm, police said, adding that there
was no report of any untoward incident from Godhra during the day.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Muslims oppose Modi function
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:37:41 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11407032

RAJKOT: A section of Saurashtra Muslims has decided to oppose the
proposed felicitation of chief minister Narendra Modi by Wankaner's
Congress MLA Khurshid Haider Pirzada.

``A person like Modi who allegedly masterminded the slaughter of the
community members could not be felicitated by any Muslim,''a senior
Muslim leader Suleman Sanghara said.

Sanghara said that Pirzada had planned a grand felicitation on May 31
at Wankaner. As many as 5,000 Muslims would, however, turn out to
oppose the felicitation. Pirzada was not available for comments.

Khurshid's younger brother Irfan Pirzada said that a function had
been organised to felicitate Modi.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.

What did Modi tell Chakravarthi?
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 2:00:35 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11408705

AHMEDABAD: A story has been doing the rounds in Ahmedabad ever since
the riots broke out.

It's about a meeting that purportedly took place late in the evening
on February 27 at which Narendra Modi is said to have told the police
to not take action against VHP activists who had called for a bandh
the next day.

Action was not to be taken, whatever might be the provocation. The
director general of police, K Chakravarthi, is said to have protested
at such instructions, but he was shut up by the chief minister. So
goes the story.

Since none of the dramatis personae who were said to have been in the
meeting confirmed on the record that such a thing happened, this
newspaper did not run the story.

But now - after three months - a news magazine has gone ahead and run
an article which is on the lines of the story doing the rounds.

The article is based on the testimony that a minister is said to have
given to the Concerned Citizen's Tribunal headed by former Supreme
Court judge, Justice Krishna Iyer.

The tribunal held its hearings last fortnight in the city.

If the story is true, then the charges are very serious; especially
what happened in the aftermath of the meeting.

It would mean that the democratically elected head of a state
government actually promoted the lawlessness from February 28 by
directing his police chief to keep his forces under leash.

It would imply that Modi is himself responsible for the chain of
events after Godhra, that have left over 900 dead, scores injured and
led to loss of crores worth of property and business opportunities.

If the story is wrong then it is, to put it very mildly, nothing
short of character assassination of Narendra Modi, accusing him of
killings that he did not order.

This is a very grave charge and if made without basis should not be
allowed to pass.

The citizens of Gujarat have the right to know the answers to these
questions:

#149 Was such a meeting to discuss the possible fall out on law and
order of the bandh held on February 27? Did Narendra Modi chair the
meeting?

#149 Who else were present at the meeting? Were there any other
ministers and political persons? Who were the police officials
present and who were the civil officers attending?

#149 What was the exact discussion that took place? Did Modi, at any
point, actually ask the police to restrain themselves? How long did
the meeting go on? What were the specific instructions for
maintaining law and order and deployment of forces?

#149 What was the reaction of the police officials and what did the
civil service officers say?

As per the testimony to the citizen's tribunal, the others present at
the meeting were Ahmedabad's then police commissioner P C Pande,
additional chief secretary (home) Ashok Narayan, home secretary K
Nityanandan, additional director general of police G C Raigar and
chief secretary G Subba Rao.

Also present at the meeting were the CM's secretaries, P K Misra,
Anil Mukim and A K Sharma.

G Subba Rao could not have been present at the meeting since he had
gone abroad.

The Times of India, in the interest of truth and transparency,
requests these officials and also Narendra Modi to share, through
these columns, what transpired at that crucial meeting.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.

PMO may be behind NHRC inertia
AKSHAYA MUKUL
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 2:02:49 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11408860

NEW DELHI: Where is the final report of the National Human Rights
Commission on the Gujarat violence?

Nearly two months after the commission's preliminary report - which
indicted the Narendra Modi government for failing to protect the life
and property of the state's Muslim citizens - the NHRC is yet to
decide when to make its final report public.

Officially, the NHRC says its final report is "almost ready" but it
is still waiting for the Gujarat government's reply to
the "confidential report" of the commission on crucial incidents like
Godhra, Chamanpura, Naroda-Patia, Best Bakery and a few others.

Off the record, however, commission sources say that the real reason
behind the delay - and softening of the NHRC's attitude - is some
subtle pressure by the Vajpayee government.

"Ever since the NHRC's highly critical preliminary report came out on
April 1, the Centre has been indulging in backroom parleys. They want
to arrest the damage the commission's final report can inflict on the
government," says a source.

According to him, "Immediately after the report was made public,
friends of Narendra Modi like Union law minister Arun Jaitley and
rural development minister Venkaiah Naidu met NHRC chairman Justice J
S Verma with a request that the commission should also patiently hear
the state government's point of view."

"Justice Verma," says the source, "was even invited by Prime Minister
Vajpayee for dinner after the report came out. All this has helped
the government. Now the NHRC has decided to wait till the Gujarat
government sends its reply even though Modi is treating the matter
most casually. We do not know when it is going to happen."

Certainly, the sequence of events indicates that the NHRC, running
high on accolades, is now going slow:

#149 April 1: NHRC gives the Gujarat government two weeks to respond
to its preliminary report

#149 April 13: State government replies but ignores the confidential
matters referred to by the NHRC

#149 May 1: NHRC meets again and gives state government two weeks

#149 May 15: NHRC receives message from state government seeking two-
three days more

#149 May 29: Response still awaited. Apparently the Gujarat
government is vetting its reply

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Backroom parleys delay NHRC report
AKSHAYA MUKUL
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:39:18 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11407143

NEW DELHI: Where is the final report of the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) on the Gujarat violence? Nearly two months after
the commission's preliminary report — which indicted the Narendra
Modi government for failing to protect the lives and property of the
state's Muslim citizens — the NHRC is yet to decide when to make its
report public.

NHRC says the final report is ``almost ready'' but it is still
waiting for the state government's reply to the ``confidential
report'' on Godhra, Chamanpura, Naroda Patiya, Best Bakery and a few
other key incidents. Off the record, however, commission sources cite
the real reason behind the delay — the government.

``Ever since the NHRC's highly critical preliminary report came out
on April 1, the Centre has been indulging in backroom parleys. They
want to arrest the damage the commission's final report can inflict
on the government,'' says a source.

According to him, ``immediately after the report was made public,
Modi's friends like Union law minister Arun Jaitley and rural
development minister Venkaiah Naidu met NHRC chief Justice J S Verma
with a request that the commission should also hear the state
government's point of view''.

The source says: ``Justice Verma was even invited by Prime Minister
Vajpayee for dinner after the report came out. All this has helped
the government. Now the NHRC has decided to wait till the Gujarat
government sends its reply though Modi is treating the matter most
casually. We do not know when it is going to happen.''

The sequence of events does indicate that the NHRC, running high on
accolades, is now going slow:

April 1: NHRC gives the Gujarat government two weeks to respond to
its preliminary report.

April 13: State government replies but ignores the confidential
matters referred by the NHRC.

May 1: NHRC meets again and gives the state government two weeks.

May 15: NHRC receives a message from the state government seeking two-
three days more.

May 29: Response still awaited. Apparently the Gujarat government is
vetting its reply.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Naroda accused a BJP man
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:36:57 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11406981

AHMEDABAD: It was rather unusual for the Ahmedabad police to announce
in its daily press bulletin on Tuesday that two of the three persons
arrested for the Naroda-Patia carnage on February 28 were associated
with the VHP and Bajrang Dal.

The police note said Babu Bajrangi is associated with the Bajrang Dal
while Padmendrasinh Rajput is associated with the VHP. For many, this
was clear evidence of how the city police has distanced itself from
the political leadership and its idealogical allies.

But, the third person who was arrested was just mentioned as Kishan
Khoobchand Koran. Maybe, the police do not know that Korani is
actually a BJP leader who is a government-appointed director of the
Gujarat Minorities Finance and Development Corporation.

Ironical it may seem but Korani, who is now accused of leading a mob
which killed 86 Muslims, was actually entrusted by the state
government with the job of ensuring the financial uplift of the
minorities in the state.

An uneasy Gani Qureshi, chairman of the corporation admitted that it
was the BJP which had recommended to the government Korani's name for
appointment as a director of the corporation. ``What can I say about
his arrest? I don't want to comment anything,'' said Qureshi, who is
also the convener of the BJP's minority cell in Gujarat.

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

Violence, police firing in Panigate
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

[ THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 1:46:21 AM ]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11407717

VADODARA: Peace was disrupted in Vadodara once again after rioting
broke out in the Panigate area of the city on Wednesday night.

The area witnessed heavy stone-pelting around 9.30 pm. Pitched
battles were fought on the streets near Bavamanpura.

At least two persons were injured in the rioting. The police
reportedly fired 10 rounds to control the situation.

The rioters burnt down four two-wheelers. Two women travelling by an
auto-rickshaw were surrounded by the mob and one of them was severely
beaten up.

Residents of the area said an explosion had triggered panic in the
locality. Mobs gathered on the street following the explosion and
resorted to stone pelting.

Indefinite curfew was imposed in the area immediately after the
incident. Police said the situation was tense but under control.

A demolition drive in the area had passed off peacefully earlier in
the day.

Meanwhile, the city police tightened the security arrangements
following the bomb explosions in Ahmedabad on Wednesday morning.

The police also carried out intensive checking of state transport
buses. The railway station and city bus depots are also under strict
observation.

Commissioner of police D D Tuteja said, "We have intensified the
drive (of checking the vehicles) after miscreants exploded bombs in
Ahmedabad."

Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved