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The killing of a Muslim youth sparked off clashes between mobs and the police in Lucknow on Tuesday.
Arson and violence followed the gunning down of Naim, a youth residing at Khadra, on the outskirts of Lucknow's walled city, while Barawafat celebrations were in full swing.
Pitched battles were fought for hours between mobs of Muslim youth and policemen, who also fired several rounds in the air to disperse the mobs.
There were conflicting versions about what led to the trouble.
According to Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Chandra, "Trouble began when the policemen on duty at the police outpost outside the Tile-wali masjid intercepted some youth who were trying to entice a girl to a secluded spot behind the mosque, on the banks of the River Gomati."
He said, "On being questioned and challenged by the cop, the youth assaulted three policeman, one of whom whipped out his gun and fired a shot that killed Naim."
However, mobs that gathered from neighbouring areas, blamed the police and demanded the blood of the "guilty" cop.
"The cops wanted to force themselves on the girl, who was talking to Naim, who naturally resisted and cried for help; others joined in, to enter into an altercation with the policemen, who opened fire," a student of Hussainabad inter-mediate college in the neighbourhood said.
The incident took place around 0500 hours, but the city has been tense all day long. "It is a very sensitive day, as some processions were being taken out to mark Barawafat - the birth as well as death anniversary of Prophet Mohammad," remarked Sulkhan Singh, Lucknow's deputy inspector general of police, who was supervising police operations together with Chandra, ever since the violence broke out.
Apart from setting ablaze four tenements, the mobs also burnt down motorcycles belonging to mediapersons, one of whom received an injury on the forehead in the crossfire of stones between mobs and police.
Movement of traffic remained suspended till late afternoon, on main roads around the area, while senior district officials were busy holding talks with the agitated youths, who were demanding the "guilty" cop's blood.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raj Nath Singh told mediapersons, "We are taking serious cognisance of the incident and I have ordered that a criminal case be registered against the policemen who killed the youth."
He was, however, confident, "We will not allow the situation to go out of hand", while refuting communal undertones being behind the incident.
PTI adds: Principal Secretary (Home) Naresh Dayal said the three policemen, who allegedly shot dead the youth, had been taken into custody and charged with murder.
In another incident, at least 15 people were injured when two groups of a community pelted stones at each other during a Barawafat feast at Sanganer town near Jaipur, police said.
Trouble erupted in the area around midday, 15 km from Jaipur, during the feast, when a group of youth allegedly snatched plates from the organisers belonging to another sect, Deputy Inspector General of Police Ajit Singh said.
The two sides abused and threw stones at each other, injuring several, he said.
The situation was tense but under control and security was tightened in the area, Singh added.
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