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Shops torched, cops injured: Mosque announcement sparks communal tension in Rajasthan's Jhalawar

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KOTA: Police have launched an investigation into a controversial announcement made from a mosque's loudspeaker in Dug town, Jhalawar district, that led to communal tension after the murder of a wedding photographer in a road rage.

The announcement, captured in a one-minute video that went viral after internet services were restored Friday-Saturday midnight, allegedly called for Muslims to gather in the market area and contained inflammatory remarks.

Dug police's Station House Officer Pawan Kumar confirmed the video's authenticity and stated that a case has been registered under section 299 of BNS against an unidentified person for "deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings."

Violence had erupted Thursday night following the murder of the 20-year-old photographer while he was covering a wedding ceremony in Dug town. Earlier that evening, a couple of youth had confronted the photographer when the two parties' vehicles had a minor accident. Following the murder, the late-night announcement from the mosque drew a large crowd to Dug's market area, requiring police intervention to disperse the gathering.

The Thursday night violence had resulted in significant damage, including the burning of 6-7 shops and stalls and left several police personnel injured, including a critically wounded SHO. While one suspect for the photographer's murder has been arrested, another remains at large, with authorities offering a Rs 25,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Jai Prakash Atal said that the situation in Dug town has since been brought under control and efforts were continuing to nab the remaining suspect.

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