During the 21-day lockdown that has been imposed on the nation to fight COVID-19 and people getting little window to get daily utility items, twelve people got injured as two groups belonging to separate communities clashed over the issue of distribution of ration in Aligarh’s Kamalpur village in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Wednesday.

“Six persons have been arrested in connection with the clash that took place on Tuesday”, City Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Rakesh Kumar Maalpani  was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

Advertisement

According to the police, the incident took place in the village at the time of ration distribution in which two groups clashed. Twelve persons were injured in brick-batting between rival groups. They have been admitted at the district Malham Singh hospital.

The situation in the village is now “fully under control”, police said.

The police filed an FIR against 150 people, including 100 unnamed people. Among those booked for the violence in the village during ration distribution is the pradhan of the village Chaman Khan.

Earlier, in another similar incident on Tuesday, BJP Corporator Virendra Singh was arrested for allegedly assaulting a labourer Kanhaiya Lal following a tiff over distribution of ration.

As soon as the news of the arrest of corporator Singh got spread, senior BJP leaders rushed to police station Kuwarsi where he was was kept.

After nearly two hours of altercation between the BJP leaders and police, the corporator was later released on bail.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muniraj G told the journalists that an inquiry has been ordered into the incident and probe is on.

As the last week of the three-week lockdown began in India the number of active coronavirus cases rose to 5,194 on Wednesday, including the 149 patients who have died and 401 who have been treated and discharged.

In Uttar Pradesh there are 21 fresh coronavirus cases reported till Wednesday morning, according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, bringing the total positive cases of coronavirus in the state to 326. Among the total people infected so far, 21 have recovered and 3 fatalities have been reported.