RAJKOT: The repercussions of the murder of a 27-year-old Hindu man in Dhandhuka town near Ahmedabad were felt in Rajkot city after several carts selling egg items were vandalized by a group of people late on Saturday night.
Most of the carts belonged to people from the minority community.
According to the complaint lodged by Hanif Herja, a 60-year-old egg joint owner, around 8-10 people armed with pipes and sticks came on five bikes and started vandalizing the carts on Morbi Road. They did not speak anything with the owners and simply started damaging and overturning the egg carts, alleged Herja.
It is alleged that one of the egg cart owners was also thrashed by the group, while one cart caught fire after the primus overturned.
The egg carts were lined up near Swaminarayan bridge on Morbi Road.
Officials of B-division police station said that even though no reason has been stated for the vandalism, it is strongly believed to be the fall-out of the Dhandhuka incident.
Police inspector MB Osura said CCTV footage is being scanned to identify and arrest the accused persons.
“There seems to be no other reason for this sudden vandalism of egg carts that have been operating for several years in the area,” sources in the police said.
On Friday night too, groups of people from two religions clashed in a garden over a 'controversial' Instagram post put up by a man from the majority community. It is alleged that Imtiyaz Rathod and Salim Dal had asked Vinay Dodia to delete the post. It was decided that they would meet at Jilla Garden in the city to sort out the issue.
However, when the groups met there, there was a bitter altercation which led to a scuffle but all escaped after a police patrolling van reached there. Two bikes were also vandalized outside the garden.
Police arrested 12 people from both faiths following a complaint lodged by Rana, who lives in Hudco Quarters on Kothariya Road.
Those arrested included Salim Dal, Imtiyaz Rathod, Mohammed Ali Dasadiya, Jayraj Gadhvi, Ravi Chavadiya, Vinay Dodia, Hardik Mewada, Satyajit Rana, Uday Chavda.
Two minors were also detained. All were booked under sections of IPC pertaining to disturbing public peace.
