Trouble broke out in the Limbayat area of the city late on Saturday evening, when revellers escorting Ganpati idols for immersion were allegedly pelted with stones from the local Madina Masjid.

Even as news of the alleged incident spread and senior police officials, including Police Commissioner Maniram, Additional Police Commissioners C Surendra Prasad and I K Yadav rushed to the spot, matters seemed to take a turn for the worse, with some of the processionists vowing not to move ahead unless the `trouble-makers' were removed from the area.

Heated exchanges erupted between the police and the processionists, with the police trying to convince them to continue with the procession, and the others refusing to do so. The situation came under control only after the police fired tear gas shells and resorted to a lathi-charge, police sources said, adding that police presence continued to be strong in the area on Sunday.

The Vansda incident was reportedly more serious. Riots broke out in the town over complaints of harassment of women, and a masjid in the centre of the town was reportedly pelted with stones on Sunday morning. Official sources said the police fired at least 10 rounds to disperse mobs comprising members of different communities.

At least four shops and other government property were reported to have been damaged in the incident.

Companies of the State Reserve Police have been despatched to Vansda on the orders of Range I-G O P Mathur.

The Limbyat police said today that though five policemen had been injured in yesterday's incident, no cases had been registered and no arrests made.

Incidentally, this is the fourth consecutive year that there have been Hindu-Muslim clashes in the Limbayat area on Ganpati immersion day.