The court sent 23 accused to police custody and four to judicial custody for rioting.
Surat: A Surat court on Tuesday sent 23 of the 27 people arrested on charges of rioting and attempt to murder following a protest against the detention of six minors for pelting stones at a Ganesh pandal in the city, to two-day police custody. The protest was held outside a police post in Surat on Sunday and turned violent, leaving some policemen injured. Police produced the 27 accused before the court and moved an application seeking their 14-day remand to ascertain whether the riot was part of a pre-planned conspiracy.
23 accused sent to two-day police custody
First Class Judicial Magistrate JP Prajapati, while hearing the petition, sent 23 accused to two-day police custody and sent four others to jail under judicial custody due to their current health condition. All these accused were arrested on Monday evening on charges of attempt to murder, intentionally causing hurt, unlawful assembly, rioting, damage to property and were produced in the court on Tuesday evening.
The idol of Lord Ganesha was vandalised after some minors allegedly pelted stones at a pandal during the Ganpati festival. After half a dozen minors were detained in connection with the stone-pelting incident in the Syedpura area late Sunday night, a crowd gathered at the Lalgate police station outpost to protest the action.
A mob of 200 to 300 people pelted stones
According to the police, a mob of 200 to 300 people pelted stones, causing head injuries to two policemen while some other policemen suffered minor injuries. It told the court that it wanted to find out if there was any mastermind behind the riots who was trying to disrupt communal harmony in the city. Three separate FIRs have been registered at Lalgate police station in connection with the attack on the Ganesh pandal and the police post.
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