Curfew continued in six police station areas in Vadodara on Friday even as authorities indicated that the Army was likely to be withdrawn from the riot-hit city as soon as the situation was under control.
Hinting about the possibility of he Army's withdrawal, Police Commissioner Deepak Swaroop told UNI that a decision in this regard would be taken by this evening.
According to police, barring one incident of stabbing of a 65-year-old man in the Navapura area on Thursday night, Vadodara had remained by and large peaceful during the last 24 hours as the Army, Rapid Action Force, State Reserve Police and Central Reserve Police Force continued to keep a close vigil in the sensitive areas, conducting flag marches and round-the-clock patrolling.
A group of miscreants stabbed one Bachubhai Mali (65) on Thursday night while he was asleep outside his Mali Mohalla residence under the Navapura police station. The incident led to stone-pelting between members of the two communities. But police intervened immediately and prevented a major clash. The injured was rushed to the SSG hospital.
Meanwhile, curfew was relaxed for three hours from 0900 hrs to 1200 hrs only for women and children in the worst-hit police station limits of Navapura, City and Wadi to enable them to buy essential items that were also being sold through fair price shops. A similar relaxation was granted from 1430 hrs to 1730 hrs for women and children of Panigate, Raopura and Karelibaug.
According to fire brigade sources, a major fire broke out in an oil depot located in the riot-hit Ajwa road on Thursday night. Half-a-dozen fire tenders fought for nearly five hours to put out the blaze. The cause of the fire is being investigated.
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