Communal clash in Gurgaon: Town under curfew, 12 cases filed

GURGAON: Tauru, the little town 32km from Gurgaon torn apart by a communal clash on Sunday, remained under curfew a day later amid an uneasy calm.

READ ALSO: Communal clash near Gurgaon injures 15

In the morning, there were reports of a local businessman's shop being set on fire. "The local administration officials came soon after and called the fire tender. It seems that through this fire, some elements want to let the communal fire rage for some more time," said Aasim Khan, a local advocate in Tauru.

But in the three hours that the curfew was lifted on Monday between 4pm and 7pm, there was a hint of normalcy returning to the city as people were seen hanging around on the roads, albeit not in groups, chatting and moving around.

A total of 12 FIRs were registered with Tauru police station. The superintendents of police of four districts along with IG Rewari range and CRPF jawans have been deployed in the town. The administration has announced it would bear the treatment costs of people injured in the riots.

"We are holding talks with the representatives of both communities so that the peace is restored and curfew is lifted," said Ramesh Verma , deputy commissioner. In the evening, the district administration held meetings with local residents, who voiced safety concerns and apprehensions about a recurrence of the violence. But the administration and police tried to convince them that they would ensure the town remained peaceful. "We don't want the curfew to go on for long as it affects the livelihoods of local residents," said Simardeeep Singh, SP (Mewat).

"We have been told that whatever happened till now should be forgotten and what will happen now on will be the administration's responsibility," said Lal Chanderi, a local resident.