Lucknow, Nov 15 (IANS): Shia mourners clashed Friday with some youth in a village in Moradabad district in Uttar Pradesh, 335 km from here, after a Moharram procession was stoned by miscreants, police said. The violence saw angry mobs pelting stones at passersby, vandalising property and indulging in stray arson.
The violence was triggered by the pelting of stones by some young people at a Tazia procession as it passed a religious place, police said.
The procession, which was going through a village in Katghar in the district, was briefly interrupted. Angry mobs soon started pelting stones at passersby and vandalised property.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) R.K. Vishwakarma told IANS that the situation was soon brought under control, after local police forces rushed to the spot. A fire tender was also sent after reports of some shops and a bike being set on fire were received.
District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ashutosh Kumar were camping in the violence-hit village to contain the situation, home department officials said.
Moharram elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh passed peacefully.