Thursday, October 20 2005 14:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mau (UP): Curfew continued for the seventh day in this riot-torn town even as no untoward incident was reported from any part of the district today (Oct 20, 2005) , official sources said here.

A two-hour relaxation was, however, given from 1000 hrs to 1200 hrs for distribution of essential commodities to the people in the curfew-bound areas, they said adding women and children turned out in large numbers to buy commodities from mobile shops during the period.

Senior police and civil officials will review the situation later in the day to decide about further relaxation in curfew, they said.

Meanwhile, security personnel continued to patrol the sensitive areas and maintained a strict vigil, the sources said adding the work of identifying the real culprits behind the communal flare up had already begun.

The administration has decided to invoke the National Security Act against the perpetrators of the violence and those who had incited it, they said.

A team of the Special Task Force of the state police had already arrived in the town for identification of the culprits, they said.

Over 500 people had been rounded up in connection with the violence and cases registered against controversial independent legislator Mukhtar Ansari and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Legislative Council Prof Ramji Singh.

Nine people were killed and 40 others injured in the communal clashes that rocked the town on October 13 during Dussehra celebrations.