The trouble-torn areas of Belgaum continued to be tense on Tuesday even as life limped back to normal in other parts of city a day after two innocent youths were murdered in a communal clash on Sunday night. According to Belgaum SP Sandeep Patil, the police had been able to crack both the murder cases within 48 hours and have arrested all the accused. “The 250-member Rapid Action Force will continue to patrol the streets, mainly Shahpur and Wadgaon, for four more days. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 will also be in force for some more time in the trouble-torn areas”, the officer said.
Eight youths have been arrested for brutally stabbing 28-year-old doctor Chetan Patil of Gadhinglaj in Belgaum late on Sunday night. The doctor had come to Belgaum from Bagalkot and was heading to his hometown Gadhinglaj when he was attacked by a group of boys on Fort Road. According to the SP, Dr Chetan Patil watched the Salman Khan starrer Ek Tha Tiger on Sunday night. He had his dinner at a hotel later and was on his way to the bus terminus when he was attacked and killed.
A resident of Shahpur, Vijay Patil, who instigated a group of 20 people to indulge in violence on Sunday night in Shahpur, has also been arrested. All the accused in both murders have confessed to the crimes. According to the SP, a total of 125 people have been arrested from various parts of the city in connection with Sunday’s violence and the two murder cases so far.
ADGP (Law and Order) Bipin Gopalakrishna held a peace committee meeting of leaders from Muslim and Hindu communities in Belgaum on Tuesday evening and briefed about the measures taken by the police to crack both murder cases. He called upon both communities not to give heed to rumours doing rounds in the city and said that the police has been able to bring the situation in Belgaum to normalcy within 24 hours of the breakout of violence.
Besides RAF, 18 platoons of reserve police force and five other RPF teams from other districts have been deployed in the city as a precautionary measure. At least 50 police officers from neighbouring districts also have been called to Belgaum. Deputy Commissioner Anbu Kumar has named a special magistrate for every police station in Belgaum to maintain law and order. All schools and colleges and business establishments which remained shut on Monday, resumed work on Tuesday morning.