Hyderabad: Cops swift action averts communal clash in city

Hyderabad: The timely action by the police averted a communal clash in the city. The incident occurred on Tuesday night, wherein an altercation between cow vigilantes and cattle transporters took place. The vigilantes had intercepted a vehicle carrying calves near Gayatri Nagar, Meerpet.

According to police, the driver of the vehicle was injured when cow vigilantes attacked him with iron rods. Two men, who were bringing the animals, called other accused to the spot and chased the attackers into the premises of a nearby temple, thus outraging the religious feelings and attacked them with an intent to kill, the police said.

Based on a complaint by a cow vigilante, a case was registered against seven persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Following the trouble, the police from nearby stations rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the groups. Some persons even damaged the police vehicles by pelting stones. Vanasthalipuram SI Madhava Reddy sustained head injury in the stoning. Senior police officials reached the spot and brought the situation under control by deploying additional forces.

The police, later, lathi-charged to disperse the crowd. Patrolling was increased in the nearby areas to prevent the trouble from escalating. Pickets were deployed in the area and the situation was brought under control, senior police officials said. Cases were booked by the Meerpet and Saroornagar police against the persons involved and they were arrested and charged under relevant sections of the IPC. On Wednesday morning, a high-level meeting was held by the in-charge DGP Anjani Kumar.

The Police Commissioners of Hyderabad, Rachakonda and Cyberabad, along with Additional DGP (Intelligence), Additional DG (Law & Order) and IGP (Counter Intelligence) among others attended the meeting. The DGP warned of strict action against all those trying to disrupt communal harmony in the State. The meeting decided that any attempt by individuals or groups to take law into their hands would not be tolerated. "Nobody violating the law will be spared and history-sheets and communal sheets will be opened against them," Anjani Kumar warned.