At least 15 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence during a protest demonstration over the ethnic strife in Assam in Kotwali area of the city where the curfew was lifted early on Saturday morning.

The curfew was imposed in the area following the violence Friday evening.

“The curfew was lifted in the Kotwali police station area this morning though a heavy deployment of police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) continues to be in place as a precautionary measure,” Superintendent of Police (Crime) Arun Kumar Pandey told a news agency.

“Besides, we have so far arrested 15 persons in connection with yesterday’s incidents,” he said adding raids were still on and more arrests were likely.

Schools and colleges across the city remained closed as an order to this effect was issued late Friday night by District Magistrate Anil Kumar.

The trouble broke out in the afternoon when a procession was being taken out by some members of a minority community in Kotwali area to protest the violence in Assam.

However, policemen deployed in the area objected to the procession pointing out that no prior permission was taken for the same, and that the order had to be maintained in view of large crowds expected at places of worship on the occasion of the last Friday of Ramdan.

The agitators allegedly reacted strongly and tried to proceed, with some of them indulging in stone-pelting which left several persons, including some policemen, injured and caused damage to a number of shops in the vicinity and vehicles parked nearby.

In view of the volatility of the situation, PAC and RAF were pressed into service even as a case was registered against unknown persons in connection with the violence and vandalism at Kotwali police station.

Finally, curfew was clamped on the entire Kotwali police station area late last evening as a “precautionary measure”.