Belagavi, Sep 18 (IANS): Tension prevailed in Belagavi city on Wednesday following the stabbing of three youths who had taken part in a Ganesh Visarjan procession, said officials here, adding that three accused have been arrested and a hunt was on for two more.
Sources said that after the procession, when victims were returning they were chased and stabbed near Rani Channamma Circle in the early hours of Wednesday.
As the accused were fleeing on two-wheelers, people informed police about the attackers. It was the locals who guided the police with information regarding the direction in which the attackers fled. The accused were chased and finally arrested by the police near Visvesvaraya Nagar.
Three persons were arrested in connection with the case and a hunt for two more was launched, said police here.
According to police, Darshan Patil, Satish Pujari and Praveen Gundiagola were seriously injured in the incident. The accused stabbed the three youths in the abdomen and fled. The injured youths were rushed to the Belagavi District Hospital.
According to preliminary reports, the three youths participating in the Ganapati immersion procession were suddenly attacked while dancing to the DJ music. The incident took place within the jurisdiction of the APMC police station raising tensions in the city.
However, later Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang clarified that the attack took place after the conclusion of the procession.
“The incident took place at the Rani Channamma circle. It did not take place during the procession. There was a quarrel and the police had pacified the persons involved in the incident and sent them away," said Marbaniang.
He said the police have arrested three accused among a total of five. The arrested have been identified as Kuri, Mahesha and Vijaya.
As per the information gathered by the police, both victims and accused nursed a grudge against each other and had an old rivalry. The quarrel had taken place between them while dancing during the Ganesh Visarjan procession as they started quarrelling claiming that their hands had touched, Marbaniang stated.
Three sustained minor injuries and were admitted to the KLE hospital presently, he added.
The case has been transferred from APMC police station to Kade Bazar police station in Belagavi city.