Curfew imposed in Maharashtra's Jalgaon after clashes break out over 'incident' involving minister's car

Mumbai: Curfew has been imposed at a village in north Maharashtra's Jalgaon district following clashes over a trivial dispute involving the driver of a minister's car and a group of locals, officials said on Wednesday morning.

Seven persons have been arrested so far as several shops were set on fire and public property was damaged during the violence at Palthi village, a senior police official said. 

While the original altercation took place late Tuesday night in Kasaiwada area of Palthi village, incidents of violence were reported till early Wednesday morning though the situation was now under control, a police official said.

There was a heated exchange between a group of locals and the driver of state minister Gulabrao Patil's car in Kasaiwada when the driver honked and asked them to give way, said an official.

Patil, a Shiv Sena leader and the minister for water supply and sanitation, was not present, but a member of his family was riding in the car.

While the argument ended at the spot, some persons from the locality later went to a village square and protested, he said.

Another group then arrived there, leading to clashes.

Several shops in the village were burnt and public property was damaged, the official said.

Additional police personnel, State Reserve Police Force and Riot Control Police teams alongside fire brigade vehicles were deployed in Palthi village, he said, adding that the situation was now under control.

A few persons have been detained for arson and damaging public property, and probe is underway, he said.