77 held in connection with Bihar Sharif violence, normalcy restored: Police

Patna: Altogether 77 people have been arrested in connection with the communal violence that erupted in Bihar Sharif town in Nalanda district during the Ram Navami festivities, police said on Sunday.

Normalcy has been restored in Bihar Sharif, the police said.

Bihar Police in a tweet on Sunday said, "Normalcy has been restored in Bihar Sharif…the situation is completely under control. Total 77 people have so far been arrested by the district police as part of its investigation into the matter. Senior officers are camping in the affected areas..and adequate deployments of security forces have been made in the area".

The police dismissed rumours that are doing the rounds on social media about the rising tension in the area. The police urged the people to not pay heed to any such rumours.

A senior officer of the Bihar Police said, “Probe is on to nab other miscreants also responsible for Ram Navami violence amid prevailing tension in the area".

Police said that prohibitory order under section 144 Crpc is in place in Bihar Sharif after fresh clashes broke out on Saturday night.

The state police had on Saturday arrested 45 people in connection with communal riots at Sasaram and Bihar Sharif that erupted during the Ram Navami festivities. Vehicles, houses and shops were torched and several people injured in communal flare-ups reported in both towns.

In Sasaram, the district administration ordered imposition of prohibitory order under section 144 Crpc on Friday afternoon after re-eruption of clashes, which first broke out the previous evening.