Tension has gripped Ashok Rajpath in Patna, Bihar after violent clashes broke out between two groups during the Saraswati idol immersion procession.
The students of Patna College and the people of Lalbagh pelted stones, fired at each other and hurled bombs which led to chaos in the surrounding areas. The brawl, which lasted for over two hours left several injured.
According to reports, the miscreants also attacked the police with bombs and bullets. Several people, including police personnel, were reported to be injured in the attack. According to a report by Jagran, inspector Manoj Kumar and a constable of Pirbahore police station have been injured in the ensuing.
According to sources, two cars have been completely burnt in the incident, while dozens of vehicles parked on the road were damaged. Bricks and stones are scattered on the Ashok Rajpath near Lalbagh. Many passers-by have also been hurt due to the stone-pelting, firing and hurling of bombs.
In what transpired, the students of Patna college had gone for idol immersion after Saraswati Puja on Friday when they were attacked by people of Lalbagh, a nearby locality. When the students of Minto, Nutan and Jackson hostels reached the Lalbagh area, people in that area started hurling stones and bombs at them. The students also retaliated to the attack, which was intensified after students of Saidpur also reached the sport with their idol. The fight was a result of a fallout between the two groups, who resorted to stone-pelting, firing and hurling bombs. Inspector Manoj Kumar was part of the immersion procession, and he was injured when a bomb exploded near him and splinters hit his abdomen. The injured constable was hit on his head.
When police forces arrived from nearby police stations after hearing about the incident, they too were attacked by the mob. After half an hour later hundred of policemen and state RAF men reached the spot and finally brought the situation under control.
Police personnel have been deployed to keep the situation in control while the area still remains tense. The police are tight-lipped and refuse to divulge any details about the incident.
