Friday prayers pass off peacefully in old city

Hyderabad, Apr 2 : Authorities heaved a sigh of relief as Friday prayers passed off peacefully in the communally-sensitive old city of Hyderabad today amid the indefinite curfew and deployment of ten more companies of para-military forces.Elite Rapid Action Force personnel and mounted police turned the historic Mecca Masjid into a fortress where only a few devout Muslims offered Namaz. They offered prayers in their houses following issuance of fatwa to this effect by clergymen. City Police Commissioner A.K.Khan, who covered several parts of the old city by foot, told mediapersons that ''The situation is fully under control. No untoward incidents were reported so far from anywhere. We will take a decision on relaxing curfew tomorrow if there are no further incidents later today.'' Mr Khan, who interacted with a cross section of people, including religious leaders, said leaders of both the communities had come to an understanding to work jointly for restoration of communal amity.Already 21 companies of central forces have been deployed in 25 police station limits, besides Andhra Pradesh Special Police and elite OCTOPUS in the wake of the killing of two people in communal clashes since Saturday.All roads leading to Mecca Masjid in the old city wore a deserted look as police put up a two-layered barbed wire security fencing.The state government's strategy of working from behind by forming peace committees and persuading clerics to issue fatwa, asking Muslims to offer their zohor (mid-noon prayers) either in their houses or local mosques, paid off. As many as 109 cases were registered in connection with the communal flare-up and over 200 people were picked up for questioning, police said.
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