Stones pelted during religious procession in Jharkhand's Hazaribag

Hazaribag: Stones were allegedly pelted during a religious procession in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district triggering tension in the area, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred near Jama Masjid Chowk around 11 pm on Tuesday when a Mangla procession was underway as part of the Ram Navami celebration, said Hazaribag sub-divisional police officer Parameshwar Kamti.

He said stones were pelted from both sides.

Police resorted to firing in the air to bring the situation under control, another officer said.

The police, however, claimed that the situation was under control and security deployment was ensured at the incident site.

"The exact reason for stone-throwing is yet to be ascertained. The people involved in the incident are being identified and they will be nabbed soon," he said.

According to locals, a dispute arose between two groups over the playing of communal songs, after which the situation escalated into stone-pelting, with stones being thrown from both sides.