Rajkot: Bhavnagar superintendent of police (SP) Pravin Mall cracked whip on 12 policemen for remaining absent from assigned duty in Mahuva where rioting broke out after local VHP leader’s murder last week.Mal suspended the12 constables and also recommended Amreli SP and Botad SP to take the action against their staff who were deputed in Mahuva but remained absent.Talking to TOI, Mal said: “Bandobast was made in wake of communal tension and lives of many people were at stake. It is a very serious matter that these policemen remained absent from the duty during rioting and clashes between two communities and the situation was tense.”Seven constables of Amreli district and two of Botad remained absent. Mal also wrote a letter to the home guard commandant in Bhavnagar to take action against 10 jawans for remaining absent from assigned duty.Mahuva VHP president Jayesh Gujaria was stabbed to death on the night of October 23 by four persons from minority community. The murder was a fall-out of the fight between Gujaria and prime accused Bapudi during Navratri. After mourning meeting of the slain leader late on Thursday, mobs vandalized and set ablaze five shops, a motorcycle and resorted to stone pelting. Police had to lob 19 teargas shells bring the situation under control.

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