Patna: Clash at Alamganj during idol immersion; IG among policemen injured

PATNA: More than a dozen of policemen, including IG (central range) Sanjay Singh, were injured after a clash broke out between two groups during the idol immersion procession while it was passing from in front of Dalalji ki Masjid under Alamganj police station in Patna City in Bihar at around 11pm on Monday.
Situation remained tensed at Alamganj and surrounding areas for whole time even on Tuesday amid heavy force deployment.
Massive brick-batting took place between both sides during in the incident and IG Singh and other policemen remained trapped in middle of it at night, putting all possible effort to stop people from pelting stones.
IG and other injured personnel were later given first aid at Alamganj police station.
Few police vehicles and a fire tender was damaged and two two-wheelers were torched by miscreants. One of the bikes was torched right in front of mosque.
The clashes continues till around 1am after which administration somehow managed to bring it under control before it could spread further.
Almost entire police force of district was routed towards Alamganj after clashes broke out. Later personnel from Bihar Military Police (BMP) Gorkha Vahini (first battalion) were also deployed in affected areas.
One of the locals Mohammad Alam, when asked, told TOI at the spot that youths in one of the idol processions were drunk and they picked up fight among themselves.
“During fight, idol was damaged and everyone started claiming that stone was thrown from mosque. However, the procession moved ahead but later those youths returned and pelted stone on mosque after which situation became violent,” he said.
Mosque’s imam Mohammad Mazhar said he was sleeping when suddenly his son woke him up after which he got to know about the situation.
A senior police officer, preferring anonymity, said those involved in immersion procession had alleged that stone pelting took place from mosque damaging idol after which the clash started. “Only after investigation, it would become clear that who was at fault,” he said.
Looking at the tensed situation, ADG (headquarters) Jitendra Kumar and IG (headquarters) Nayyar Hasnain Khan themselves rushed to spot and continued camping inside Alamganj police station premises till 3am until situation was brought completely under control.
ADG Kumar when asked, told TOI that situation was completely under control after the brick batting between two groups. “It doesn’t seems pre-planned else its scale would had been wider and more arson would had took place,” he said.
Patna DM Kumar Ravi and SSP Garima Malik had also rushed to spot and camped there till early morning.
Along with these senior officers, SP (West) Jitendra Kumar, SP (Central) Vinay Tiwary, SP (East) Jitendra Kumar, several sub-divisional police officers and station house officers (SHO) of more than two dozen police stations remained deployed in the area entire time.
With these police officers, SSP Malik conducted route march from the mosque to Alamganj police station at around 2am. Another similar march was conducted by her after daylight broke out.
“At least a dozen of police personnel were injured. No injury was reported yet from public side. Almost police of entire district is deployed here,” Malik told this reporter, adding, none were arrested or detained yet in connection with the incident.