PUNE: The death total in the Monday night bomb blast in the power loom town of Malegaon, in Nashik district, rose to 10 and 90 injured yesterday, according to police sources reached by Arab News. The police, which had imposed curfew on Monday night following protests from the Muslim community, relaxed it this morning, and business was limping back to normalcy.
A special team of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) rushed yesterday morning to investigate the bomb blast and track down the culprits. State Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R.R. Patil and State Public Works Department Minister Chaggan Bhujbal, who hails from Nashik, are reported to have arrived in Malegaon to take stock of the situation.
The powerful bomb blast which occurred at 9.45 on Monday night in the crowded Bhikku Chowk area during the rush hour when the members of the Muslim community were doing shopping for the forthcoming Eid Al-Fitr festival, was initially thought to be a gas cylinder explosion, but later turned out to be a bomb planted on a motorbike, near Noorani Masjid.
Panic soon followed in the shopping zone and people ran helter-skelter for cover of safety. Soon angry mobs of irritated Muslims went on rampage, venting their anger at the police and district administration officials.
Meanwhile, communal riots broke out in Rabodi locality in neighboring Thane district, adjoining Mumbai on Monday night, in which 70 people, including policemen were reported to have been injured. According to police sources, the riots broke out between Hindus and Muslims over the erection of an arch for the ongoing key Hindu festival of Navrati.
Members from both the communities went on rampage and fought pitched battles against each other. Arson followed with a large number of houses and vehicles being set on fire. The mobs also attacked reporters who had gathered at the troubled spot.
The police were held responsible for acting too slow to control the situation and allowing it to worsen, said a journalist, who was slightly injured.
A senior police official at the city control room told Arab News, that the mobs from both the community had used all kinds of lethal weapons including swords and choppers in the riots.
