Khambhat violence caused damage worth Rs 50 lakh: Police

Gandhinagar: The communal clashes between between two communities in Khambhat town of the Anand district in Gujarat on the last Sunday afternoon caused the damage of over Rs 50 lakh, according to the primary assessment by the police.

“This is just a primary assessment. Teams from the collector’s office are carrying out the damage assessment for the last two days,” said Bharti Pandya, Khambhat Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

On the transfer of a Sub-Inspector, an Assistant Sub-Inspector, one Head Constable and two constables by Khambhat SP Ajit Rajian, she said it had nothing to do with the riots.

On the number of families that left the city due to riots and had returned, she said exact figures were not available but in the last 2 days more than 50 families had returned to their homes.

“Those who have not returned was not due to fear, but because of infrastructural issues, like loss of electricity, particularly in areas like Akbarpura,” the DSP said.

She said the SP was visiting different localities everyday and was assuring them of safety.

According to Pandya, many students of the affected areas had stopped attending schools. “We have tied up with schools and obtained the number of absentees. We are talking to the people assuring them not only about safety but also about the continuation of the children’s studies, affected by the recent incidents,” she said.

“We are focusing on education because for most students, the final examinations are near and we don’t want them to suffer,” said Pandya.