Diwali cracker mishap: Man killed in group clash in Salem

An angry Shabir stopped his vehicle and picked up a quarrel with the youth celebrating Deepavali festival.

Salem: Deepavali celebrations in Ammapettai part of Salem town on Sunday turned bizarre, as a freak lighted cracker falling on two-wheeler rider passing by led to a group clash and claiming the life of one person. Salem town police are on lookout for ten persons of the rival group as reports last came in.

Sources said Mohammed Shabir was riding a two-wheeler on one of the cross streets of Vidhya Nagar in Ammapettai area when crackers burst by some youth accidentally fell on him. An angry Shabir stopped his vehicle and picked up a quarrel with the youth celebrating Deepavali festival.

But the exchange of words took a nasty turn as Shabir and the youth came to blows, sources said. Shabir then called up his friend Abu Bhaker, 25, who works in a vulcanizing shop and he allegedly came with a group of ten of his friends to the spot.

However, with another group of Vidyanagar youth already assembling there, both groups clashed violently, sources said.  In the melee, both Shabir and Abu Bhaker were allegedly attacked with iron rods and Abu Bhakar collapsed and died at the spot. Shabir and other injured persons were rushed to nearby hospital.

Even as Abu Bhaker’s relatives demanded on Monday that the murderous attackers of their kin should be arrested and brought to book immediately, a team of Salem police led by deputy commissioner Mr. Thangadurai and assistant commissioner, Anandakumar are holding an investigation on what led to the group clash and who were all involved. They are also intensely searching for ten members of the rival group, while three of them were reportedly arrested by Monday evening. Probe is on.