Cops stop gathering for Friday prayers, pelted with stones in Karnataka town

Four policemen were injured when a group of people allegedly attacked them with stones after being asked not to gather for Friday prayers at a mosque in Hubballi in north Karnataka, a top police official said.

Some among the crowd also were injured in the incident, Hubballi Police commissioner R Dileep said without elaborating. "Today the prayers were called in certain prayer halls and people had gathered there. Police on rounds requested them not to gather because of the order of the government and to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease but some people got sentimental about it,"

The leaders of their community came there and persuaded the agitated people to exercise restraint saying police were performing their duties and they should not obstruct them.

"But inspite of it, some people got agitated and hurled some stones, in which four (police personnel) persons were injured. They got minor injuries. They are back on duty. There is nothing alarming and equally some people from their community got injured," the commissioner said. Presently the situation was peaceful because of the efforts of police and community leaders, he said adding patrolling was on.

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