There was heavy stone pelting in Gheekanta, Mirzapur, Shahpur throughout the day and Gomtipur and Shahpur areas till late in the evening, injuring two people. Till going to the press, police had fired five rounds in the air and lobbed ten teargas shells to disperse stone pelting mobs at Pujarini Chawl and Chaudhrini Chawl near Kamdar Maidan on Gomptipur road. Fifteen persons have been arrested for their involvement in stone-throwing and stabbing incidents. The previous night mobs attacked Gajanan Park and Ravindra Park societies in Danilimda.

In another development, Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel today held a high-level meeting of senior Home Department officials to review the situation and instructed them to take stern action against anti-social elements. He also appealed to the people to maintain peace and assured them that the government was committed to protecting their lives and property.

However, the appeal seemed to go unheard as the violence continued till late in the night. In the aftermath of the stabbings, several shops were set ablaze in Mirzapur, Gheekanta, Swaminarayan Road and Ratan Pole. An autorickshaw and a moped were also set on fire behind St Xavier's school in Mirzapur.

Soon after the Shahpur stone-throwing in the morning, some unidentified youths in an autorickshaw stabbed one person at the Jansatta Karyalaya bus stop in Mirzapur. He died in hospital.

The incident was followed by heavy stone-throwing until the police arrived on the scene. But peace proved short-lived as again around 3 pm another youth was stabbed by unidentified assailants near the same spot. He was admitted to V S Hospital and is said to be the son of a police photographer.

Before the stabbing in Mirzapur, heavy stone-throwing was reported from the Nagoriwad locality in Shahpur. One person was hit in the head with a soda bottle during the incident. He was discharged from hospital after treatment.

Several shops in the Gheekanta, Mirzapur, Shahpur, Manekchowk, Ratan pol and Relief road were closed down. In Mirzapur, police had a tough time seeing off students of St Xavier's amid high panic and heavy traffic jam. Vehicles from Lal Darwaja to Mirzapur and Shahpur had to be diverted to Nehru bridge.

City Police Commissioner P C Pandey said the situation was under control and police was maintaining a strict vigil in all the areas of the city.

He said that so far 53 persons had been arrested on charges of rioting and another 27 as a precautionary measure.