Two groups clash over religious tableau in Gogol

Margao

: Nine persons were arrested and later released by the

Fatorda

police on Monday following clashes between two groups at Housing Board,

Gogol

.

Police sources said trouble began late Sunday night when a group of youngsters confronted another group near Gogleshwar temple at Housing Board, Gogol, while the latter was engaged in preparing a

tableau

of

Mecca

Madina for a religious procession to be held on Wednesday to mark Id-e-Milap. The dispute turned violent and Kiran Naik, who was also part of the tableau was injured. In retaliation, the second group, with a mob of around 50 to 60 people barged into the house of one of the members of the first group, Mayur Naik, and assaulted him. Police said the group also damaged three scooters parked near Datta Mandir and damaged a hoarding with the photo of Shivaji Maharaj. The group also damaged the roof, door and lights of a shop belonging to Rekha Ulhas Borkar. Group clashes erupted once again and Yasin Navloor was injured leading to his hospitisation.

Police sources said that a group later came riding on two-wheelers and damaged the Mecca Madina tableau and fled.

Following cross complaints by the two groups, Fatorda police booked Mayur Naik, Viju Naik, Ketan Shetty and Sushant Borkar from one group under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the IPC, and Jaffer Ahmed Sayyed, Salamat Shaikh, Mujir Ahmed Dodamani Saifurulla, Bakar Shaikh and others of the other group for forming unlawful assembly, rioting with deadly weapons, and causing damage. Police have kept a close vigil in the area since Sunday night.