In what was termed as a pre-planned attack, a mob allegedly went on a rampage and attacked police officers on duty, damaged police vehicles, a hospital, and a Hanuman temple in the old town of Hubballi, over a social media post in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been clamped in Hubballi city, police added. As per PTI reports around 40 people have been arrested and FIRs have been registered.

Twelve police officials on duty were injured and some police vehicles were damaged. All precautionary measures have been taken so that such incidents do not occur again. We will not spare those who have taken the law into their hands, said Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Labhu Ram.

He said that this attack was fuelled after someone had posted a social media post, which others took objection to and lodged a police complaint. Subsequently, the person was arrested and a case was registered. Some people started gathering around the police station as they were not happy with the action taken, but were later dispersed.

Around midnight, a large number of people once again started gathering around the police station and they went on a rampage, despite the police officials telling them that action was being taken. They resorted to stone-pelting and damaged some police vehicles. More than a dozen police officers have sustained injuries, including the inspector of Old Town police station and one of them is in serious condition. A few of them were also arrested.

Meanwhile, in the National Capital, the Delhi Police have arrested 20 persons and detained two juveniles in connection with the violence that broke out during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in the Jahangirpuri area of the Capital on Saturday.

Similar communal clashes were reported in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Members of two communities clashed during a Hanuman Jayanti procession at Holagunda village in Kurnool district on Saturday night, police sources said on Sunday.

When the procession reached a mosque in the village, the organisers switched off the mike, in reverence to the Ramzan observation. But some devotees allegedly chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans loudly. This irked the other party and the people started pelting stones at the procession leading to a clash, police said. The situation has returned to normal after the police intervened and pacified both sides. Police have been deployed at the site of the incident and the situation is under control and cases have been registered on both sides, added Kurnool SP Ch Sudheer Kumar Reddy.

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