Old Hubballi tense after stone pelting over social media post, Section 144 imposed till April 20

Trouble started after news spread over the arrest of a youth on charges of uploading a provocative post on social media

Hubballi city in North Karnataka is tense after a mob resorted to stone pelting and damaged police vehicles during a late night protest over a provocative social media post.

Few police personnel including a police inspector have suffered injuries in the violence. The police indulged in lathicharge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the angry mob. Police Commissioner Labhu Ram has imposed prohibitory orders till 6.00 am on April 20.

Trouble started after news spread over the arrest of a youth on charges of uploading a provocative post on social media. A mob gathered around Old Hubballi Police Station seeking action against the youth and expressing anger over the post.

Soon the gathering swelled and appeals by Police to disperse did not yield any result. A few are said to have started pelting stones and overturned a police jeep.

Meanwhile a Youth Congress leader Shahjaman Mujahid used a loudspeaker from a nearby mosque to make appeal for peace and allow the Police to take action as per law. He also appealed to the mob not take law into their hands.

As the situation was getting out of control, the police took to lathicharge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the angry mob.

The situation is tense, but under control, the police have said.