The Vadodara city police detained at least 20 people on 18 April, as the Raopura Street area remained tense after a night of violence.
The rioting reportedly stemmed from the assault of a two-wheeler rider at Amdavadi Pol the night before, The Indian Express reported, as clashes broke out between two groups belonging to different communities around the Jubileebaug area.
Within minutes, the clashes escalated into rioting which led to stone pelting, vandalism of vehicles and desecration of a Sai Baba temple.
The mob dispersed as police teams reached the area along with local leaders to probe into the incident.
An FIR was also filed at the Raopura police station against 10 unknown persons under charges of unlawful assembly (143), rioting (147), rioting armed with a deadly weapon (148), offence committed by every member of unlawful assembly in prosecution of common object (149), voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons (324), and voluntarily causing grievous hurt (325).
The complainant of the FIR said in his FIR that he was returning home after meeting a friend at a tea stall near Nyaymandir when the accused stopped and assaulted him with iron pipes “without any reason”.
The report quoted Assistant commissioner of police, C Division, Megha Tewar as saying, “There was a rumour that a two-wheeler rider had been zooming in the area and harassing locals… The group of accused claimed that they were looking for the said two-wheeler when they came across the accused and assumed him to be the person they were looking for. They assaulted him before his friend reached to his aid and rushed him to SSG Hospital.”
A second FIR was filed at Karelibaug against a mob of 40 for rioting and desecrating the temple.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)