Clash between two communities in Gujarat; 2000 people booked

Police on Monday registered an FIR against nearly 2,000 unidentified people on charges of attempt to murder and rioting after members of two communities clashed against each other at Nava Bandar village in Una taluka of Gir Somnath, leaving six policemen and a dozen other people injured. The FIR names 47 other people likewise under IPC Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 332, 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to public servant), 337, 338 (hurting with negligent act endangering human life), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 and 148 (rioting) in connection with the incident that occurred on Sunday.

The clash occurred after an altercation over the collision of two fishing boats at a jetty in the village, and 1500-2000 people belonging to two different communities hit each other with sticks, swords, iron, plastic pipes, and hurled stones and empty glass bottles. An official from the Nava Bandar Marine police station added that the rioters attacked the police, who attempted to intervene, leaving six personnel injured. The police resorted to teargas shells to control the mob. Efforts are underway to arrest them, he added.