Jamshedpur : Tension prevailed in the steel city after communal clashes at Mango locality of late last night.
The dispute started after a group of three bike-borne youths belonging to a particular community opened fire in the air at Gandhi Maidan in Mango where a fair was organised as a part of Eid celebrations on Monday night.
Soon after the trio tried to molest two girls near the Payal cinema and also brandished fire-arms to the local residents in adjoining Daiguttu locality.
Officials in Jamshedpur imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in Mango police station area following a clash between two communities over an alleged incident of sexual harassment.
The situation is under control, but tense, after a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), a police inspector and many others were injured in three hours of brick batting and stone pelting between two communities in Mango area.
Locals put up a blockade near Daigutu Chowk after the incident to which people from the other community objected. The war of words soon turned into brick-batting, stone pelting and reportedly several rounds of firing in the air from both sides. Several shops in the area were also damaged in the incident.
DSP Animesh Naithani was the first to reach the spot and as he was issuing a warning to the locals to clear the area, he was hit by a stone on his face. Mango inspector Satyendra Kumar too sustained injuries.
Police had to fire 22 rounds in the air to disperse the mob and bring the situation under control after senior superintendent of police (SSP) Anup T Matthew and deputy commissioner (DC) Amitabh Kaushal reached the spot around 1:30am.
Senior superintendent of police, Anoop T Mathew, city SP, Chandan Jha, SP (rural) Shailendra Kumar Sinha and all the deputy superintendents of police arrived at the site for controlling the situation, but as the situation continued to get more and more tense, the police opened fire in the air.
By 2 am today, Mango turned into a battle field as both sides were involved in stone-pelting at each other side. Subsequently, the police lobbed tear gas shells and fired as many as 22 rounds in the air, for dispersing the mob.
In the stone-pelting incident last night deputy superintendent of police Animesh Nathani and circle inspector of Mango Satyendra Prasad alongwith with a few other constables sustained injuries. Nathani was admitted to the Tata Main Hospital , where he is presently undergoing treatment.
Sensing trouble, sub-divisional officer, Dhalbhum Alok Kumar imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, declaring that assembly of five or more people at any place in the city is prohibitory.