Six detained for Pratapgarh violence; curfew continues

Police today detained six persons in connection with communal clashes in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh district, which has left three dead and six injured, even as curfew continued in Kotadi village for second consecutive day.
An additional force of 400 policemen has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order and to keep the situation under control, a police officer said.
"The situation in the area is under control. There is no fresh incident of violence. Six miscreants have been rounded up and other identified accused will also be detained soon," the officer said.
A clash erupted on Tuesday night following a verbal spat between group of youths from separate communities in Kotadi village of Prapgarh district.

Over 20 thatched houses and shops were set afire in Kotadi village, where curfew was imposed on Tuesday night and continued for second consecutive day today, District Collector Ratan Lahoty said.
In the incident, Raja Khan (20) of Kotadi village, Bhanwar Singh (50) and Dinesh (25), both from Moheda village, died due to fatal injuries sustained in the violence, while six others injured are admitted to a hospital in Udaipur.

According to the police, the bodies reached houses last evening and funeral will take place today amid tight security.
Tension had escalated in Kotadi and thereafter in Moheda village, at a distance of some 10 kms from Kotadi. It spread to nearby villages of Dalot and Salamgarh, where three shops were vandalised and a house was set aflame by a mob.

The state government has sent one IPS and a few RPS officers to restore harmony in Pratapgarh district. Forces from nearby districts have also been mobilised.