INDIAN authorities re-imposed a curfew in the riot-scarred town of Veraval, Gujarat, today after fresh clashes broke out between Hindus and Muslims killing two and injuring more than a dozen, officials said.
"We have re-imposed the curfew after an incident of stone-pelting between Hindus and Muslims," said RK Pathak, a senior official in the area.
Religious clashes in Veraval, 215 miles southwest of Ahmedabad, erupted after a Muslim boy was beaten up for teasing a Hindu girl on Monday.
Authorities clamped a curfew in the port town after rampaging mobs torched dozens of shops, houses and vehicles, but relaxed it yesterday morning for four hours.
Police fired 10 rounds into the air to disperse rioters yesterday and a mob torched part of a fish processing unit on the outskirts of Veraval, police said.
Riot police continued to guard the streets where most businesses and schools remained closed for a second day, Pathak said.
Police arrested about 20 people last night for looting shops and houses, taking the total number of arrests after Monday`s clashes to 200, said BD Vaghela, police superintendent of Junagadh district.
Pathak said additional security forces were deployed in Somnath, a temple town near Veraval, as a precautionary measure because many Hindu pilgrims visit there this time of year.
