Vijay Datania,brutally attacked by Muslims in Shahpur dies
Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat, 26 May, 2010
Vijay Dataniya who was according to locals dragged to Muslim street near Ambalivali pol secondary school, was beaten by stones, forcefully fed acid, showered by acid and injured by sword and pipe by group of rioting Muslims died today in Ahmedabad’s V.S.Hospital.
Resident of Ramesh chowk in Shahpur area where Hindus are in minority now, thanks to frequent attacks by Muslims, Vijay Dataniya was 52-year old. He is survived by two children and wife.
Vijay was brutally attacked by Muslims on Tuesday. Spectators present on the site said, “there were four police constables present on the site, but they couldn’t dare to prevent group of Muslim attackers. After Vijay was brutally beaten and fed acid, we the people from Hindu area formed large group, went there and rescued him from the hands of Muslims.”
Locals said, “this is one more death of Hindu in Shahpur area. If you start counting the records, in previous 10-20 years dozens of Hindus are killed in this area.Many rich and middle class Hindus who can afford to buy property elsewhere have vacated this area and shifter to other parts of the city. Now some poor people like us are surviving here. We face regular attacks from Muslim side, but as we are poor we can not buy property anywhere else and can not shift. We are here to fight with little help of police sometime, but most of the time on our own.”
The latest riot in Shahpur began when a Hindu wedding procession was passing through a street where Muslim mosque is located. Muslims asked Hindus to stop music and dancing. They also reportedly harassed some Hindu girls participating in wedding procession.
On Tuesday, at least four Hindu Mandirs were vandalized by Muslims. Idol of goddess Khodiar mata was damaged. All this happened when heavy police force was deployed here.
Ahmedabad walled city on the boil, one dead
TNN, May 27, 2010,
AHMEDABAD: One person succumbed to acid burns in the riots that broke out in Shahpur area of the walled city on Monday night. Shopkeepers downed shutters and the busy streets went quiet as residents huddled indoors out of fear. Four stabbing incidents occurred since Tuesday night.
Tension spread to other parts of the city as knives and swords were out and two persons were stabbed right outside the Mirzapur rural court.
The sensitive Nagoriwad area of Shahpur has been burning since Monday night when a marriage procession which passed by a mosque at prayer time, led to clashes between communities. There were repercussions the following day when at least 18 persons, including four policemen, were injured in stone throwing and acid bulb attacks.
On Wednesday morning, one of the injured, Vijay Datania died in Civil hospital, which agitated the residents. Extra posse of policemen were deployed to ensure peace in the funeral procession in which over a thousand people joined in, but the backlash could not be controlled.
An armed mob of masked young boys slashed the throat of a scooterist near RC technical school at the famous Chalte Pir ki Dargah in Shahpur and attacked him with stones, barely 15 feet from a police point. The man was rushed to VS hospital in a police jeep.
In a reaction an incited crowd set two motorbikes on fire near Dilli Darwaja area late on Wednesday afternoon. Joint commissioner of police (sector 1) Satish Sharma rushed with a team of senior officers to the spot to bring about control.
Around 5 pm, two peons of Mirzapur court who were headed toward St Xaviers’ school, were attacked by a mob armed with swords. The 108 ambulance service rushed to their help. What is intriguing here is that this incident happened just a few feet away from the Mirzapur police chowky. That apart there is a security picket right outside the court.
“We are exercising restraint . Of the 18 injured, four are policemen,” a senior police officer told TOI.
Deputy commissioner of police (control room) Dinesh Parmar said, “We have called for extra SRP forces and have deployed more deputy superintendents of police and inspectors .”
Panic in old city after rumours
AHMEDABAD: After four stabbing incidents since Tuesday night, in a grim reminder of the 2002 situation, rumour mongering took over leading to a panic-like situation in the city. Shops on Relief road, Manekchowk, Kalupur chokha bazaar, Madhupura market, Shahpur, Jamalpur and other areas of the walled city began to close down as news of the violence spread.
Although Wednesday’s incidents of stabbing were confined to the two kilometre patch between Dilli Darwaja and Mirzapur, rumours began to do rounds about riots spreading to Kalupur, Dariapur , Juhapura and Sabarmati areas. By 4 pm on Wednesday, the entire walled city wore a deserted look with a self-imposed curfew.
A shopkeeper in Madhavpura, Anil Prajapati, said, “When two motorbikes were set ablaze near Dilli Darwaja, we got scared and closed our shops. Fearing that the rioters would attack markets causing more property damage, all the markets shut down.”
Even autorickshaws went off the road and those still plying refused to pick passengers headed for the walled city areas. Passengers coming from the railway station or getting back home to the pols from work, had a tough time. Only AMTS buses were running.
In Amli ni Pol area of Shahpur, women began to demonstrate before the police, complaining that the incidents of violence were happening before the police, which were doing nothing .
Rekha Solanki, a resident of this pol, said, “The police know who these rioters are from both communities. But the police are deliberately avoiding action, which is why the violence is not coming under control.”
Tear gas shells lobbed 144
Persons injured 14
Policemen injured 4
Vehicles burnt 6
Shops burnt 24
Rounds fired 12
Persons stabbed 6
Islamic Terrorism in India 