NE NEWS SERVICE
KHEDA, APR 21
A group of more than 30 men, who had gathered outside a place of worship in Kapadvanj town of Gujarat’s Kheda district, allegedly attacked policemen over the issue of enforcement of coronavirus guidelines, police said on Wednesday.
No policeman was injured in the attack, in which police vehicles were also damaged by rioters, an official said.
The men, members of a particular community, stormed the Kapadvanj town police station, hurled stones and attacked policemen on Tuesday night, the police alleged.
An FIR was registered on early Wednesday morning in connection with the incident, said police inspector of Kapadvanj, H C Zala.
All the 35 accused persons named in the FIR were absconding, he said.
They were booked under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life), police said.
They were also booked under relevant sections of the Damage to Public Property Act, the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act (the last two laws are in force in view of coronavirus outbreak).
Recently, the district collector had banned gatherings in the wake of a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases.
More than 30 men gathered outside the place of worship and when policemen went there and asked them to avoid crowding in view of COVID-19, they got angry, said Zala.
The members of the group, armed with pipes and other weapons, stormed the Kapadvanj police station and attacked on-duty policemen, the FIR said.
They also hurled stones on a nearby police outpost and some houses in a police colony, the FIR said.
“The mob damaged police vehicles using pipes and stones. No policeman was injured in the attack. A combing operation has been launched to nab the culprits,” said the inspector.
