Man stabs 5 during Ganesh immersion procession in Gujarat; 1 dead

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A man was killed Sunday after a car driver allegedly went on a stabbing spree following an altercation with people taking a Ganesh idol for immersion, police said. The incident happened in Sayan town near here, and the attack left five people injured, one of whom later died, they said, adding that the accused was arrested.

"Car driver Chaitanya Rawal was unable to move his car due to the procession. He had an argument with the people in the immersion procession. Matters escalated and he stabbed five people. One of them, Dhaval Patel, died from the stab wounds," an official said.

"Police nabbed Rawal from the spot and brought him to Sayan police station. But a mob gathered at the station demanding that the accused driver be handed over to them. We dispersed the mob," Inspector General (Surat Range) Rajkumar Pandian said.

He said the four injured people were admitted to a local hospital and the process of charging the arrested accused for murder was underway. Officials said the mob torched Rawal's car and also pelted stones at police personnel stationed in the Sayan chowky, injuring one.

Meanwhile, stones were pelted in a tussle between two communities in Pipli village of Anand district. An altercation broke out after locals carrying a Ganesh idol allegedly burst crackers outside a religious place, police said.

Stone pelting lasted for about 15 minutes but no one was injured, the official added. Elsewhere in Ahmedabad city, a minor scuffle took place between residents in Madhavpura, an official said, adding that it was brought under control immediately.

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