Margao, Nov 20 (TNN): Communal tension flared up at Housing board, Gogol, on Friday night, following clashes between two groups over the pasting of posters carrying photographs of Tipu Sultan. Three motorcycles were set ablaze by unidentified culprits near the road leading to Gogol mutt before the arrival of the police. The situation was brought under control with deployment of police at sensitive places in the area.

Trouble began on Friday afternoon after the posters announcing the organization of some programme by a minority community on Sunday at the Rumdamol ground, at Davorlim.

Posters carrying pictures of the 18th century Mysore ruler irked some residents, professing right wing ideology, who confronted the organizers. Claiming that no approval from the authorities was obtained by the organizers for putting up the posters, they tore them.

This aggravated the situation leading to clashes between the two groups. To calm frayed nerves, the police summoned members of both the groups to the Maina-Curtorim police station on Friday evening to resolve the issue. Sources said that Maina-Curtorim PI Harish Madkaikar helped the members arrive at some compromise over the issue.

The truce turned out to be momentary, as a quarrel soon broke between the two groups over the issue again. The dispute soon took a violent turn as the warring groups came to blows. Three motorcycles were set ablaze by some unidentified miscreants and they were completely gutted in the inferno. 

The police team armed with riot gear and led by Madkaikar, soon descended on the site and managed to bring the situation under control. Firefighters extinguished the fire.

On Friday night, Maina-Curtorim police said they were in the process of registering an offence against the accused.