Harihar tense, ban orders clamped

DAVANAGERE: The district administration has clamped ban orders under Sec 144 of CrPC for three days with effect from Monday following tension in Harihar town on Monday.
Trouble began when the priest of the Anjaneya temple in Harihar town noticed some graffiti on the temple walls. When he brought it to the notice of the public around the temple, members of some Hindu organisations went around the town forcing shops and other commercial establishments to shut down.Meantime, a huge crowd gathered at the temple and started slogans and demanding the police to nab the culprits.
Protesters also stoned buses and burnt tyres on the roads. The windows of one bus were completely damaged and a shed was burnt down. Police swung into action and caned the protesters in which five persons sustained injuries. Additional police forces have been rushed from Shimoga and the situation is under control, SP Sandeep Patil said. Twenty-seven persons were taken into custody and investigations are on to trace the culprits, he added. The town was completely deserted with schools, colleges and commercial establishments shut down.