Shillong, June 23 (IANS): Curfew was relaxed for eight hours in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district on Sunday, two days after it was imposed following mob violence after an alleged bid to molest a mentally challenged girl, an official said.
The girl was allegedly harassed by five migrant labourers, sparking Friday's mob violence in Tura, which left one person dead, police said.
The curfew was relaxed on Sunday for eight hours, from 9 am to 5 pm.
"The night was peaceful and there were no reports of any untoward incidents in the curfew-bound areas," Pravin Bakshi, Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills district, told IANS.
The authorities also warned "mischief makers" that they would be booked under the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order and Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act if found instigating communal tension.
Bakshi said the district authorities will monitor the law-and-order situation during the curfew relaxation and further ease the curbs accordingly.
On Saturday, the Meghalaya government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the violence in the district headquarters. A migrant labourer from Assam's Dhubri district was killed and three vehicles were set ablaze in the incident.
The mentally challenged girl was allegedly molested by five labourers. Three of them were caught by the mob, while two managed to flee.
Mohammad Raju Alam, Nehar Ali and Babul Sheikh were beaten up by the mob before police arrived and arrested them. The three have been admitted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
