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Subject:
Lastest attack on minorities in India
Keele
8/28/2004 4:04:57 PM
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| Bomb attacks, arson in Maharashtra; 18 hurt
Mumbai, August 27
Eighteen persons were injured today in two separate bomb blasts in quick succession at places of worship of minority community in Jalna and Poorna towns in central Maharashtra, prompting the authorities to clamp curfew in Jalna.
Curfew has been imposed in Jalna, Parbhani and Purna towns since this evening as a precautionary measure.
Unidentified persons on a motor cycle lobbed crude bombs on Kadriya Masjid in Jalna town of Jalna district, injuring five persons, while a similar incident occurred at a mosque on the outskirts of Poorna town in Parbhani district, leaving 13 injured, police sources told PTI.
Senior police officials, monitoring the situation, said the first blast occurred at Jalna at 1:45 pm, while the second explosion occurred barely 15 minutes later.
Violent incidents were reported in both places after the blasts as angry mobs damaged vehicles and set afire some of them. However, there was no report of injuries to any person.
?Curfew has been imposed in Jalna and situation is under control?, Deputy Superintendent of police, Jalna, Prakash Wani said. Wani said people set two vehicles on fire and damaged a state transport bus.
Prohibitory orders were imposed in Poorna town.
Police officials suspect that the two blasts were a planned affair and are probing in this direction.
In both the blasts, however, the injuries were minor and the wounded were discharged after treatment, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police was today put on high alert following the two bomb explosions at places of worship in Jalna and Parbhani districts.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Ahmed Javed said the police had been put on alert to avoid occurrence of any similar untoward incident in the city.
?I have already spoken to officers and given necessary instructions to take precautionary measures,? he told PTI.
The police has been deployed at places of worship and sensitive points in the city, while the local police has stepped up patrolling to avoid any backlash, police sources said.
The anti-riot police has been asked to remain prepared as a precautionary measure, sources said, adding that similar exercise was undertaken when rioting occurred in Parbhani earlier this year.
Six persons were injured when some unidentified persons on a motor cycle lobbed crude bombs on two places of worship of minority community at Jalna and Parbhani this afternoon where people had gathered to offer Friday prayers.
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