Curfew relaxed during day time in violence-hit Karauli

Curfew relaxation from 9 am to 5 pm was announced in violence-hit Karauli city on Sunday -- to be applicable from next day -- following a peace meeting held with community groups, an official said.

The curfew will however continue till April 12 considering the still tense law and order situation in the city.

"Following a peace meeting held today, curfew has been relaxed from 9 am to 5 pm. Curfew will remain effective in night till April 12 as a precautionary measure," Karauli district collector Rajendra Singh Shekhawat told PTI.

He said movement of about 1,100 people have been restricted for Sunday and Monday in Hindaun block to maintain peace in the district.

Panchayati Raj Minister Ramesh Meena also took stock of law and order in Karauli and appealed to people to maintain peace and brotherhood.

A fight between two communities had broken out on April 2 in Karauli in which about 35 people were injured and shops and houses of more than 80 people were burnt in arson, according to authorities.

The violence started when some participants of a bike rally -- carried out on the occasion of Hindu New Year -- raised provoking slogans passing through a Muslim-dominated area, which was responded with heavy stone pelting from nearby houses, the state police chief had earlier said.

Rajasthan government on Saturday issued guidelines asking organisers to furnish details of the contents that will be played on DJs loud speakers in processions and rallies.

Authorities also rebutted a BJP politician’s claim that 195 families moved out from the Muslim-dominated Dholikhar area in the wake of the violence.

"After the Parliamentarian submitted the list of 195 people, we immediately got it physically verified by a committee. It was found totally incorrect as most of the people shifted to other parts of the city as their families expanded," Shekhawat said.

BJP MP Dr Kirodi Lal Meena had in a letter shared a list of 195 persons with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Meena claimed that people from several Dalit and other backward communities were among those migrated.

Authorities in their response said that the people who shifted to other localities were contacted physically.

They termed the post-violence migration “a conspiracy”, saying they had shifted from the area in 1985 to new colonies, said the collector.

As of last Friday, 23 people were arrested and 44 others identified in connection with the violence. A total of 10 FIRs have been registered in the case, including one by the police themselves.

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