Although a verbal duel between a village youth and a `social worker' from neighbouring Bibidharphal was said to have sparked off the clashes, Akoletaki villagers maintained that tension had been simmering for some weeks now after a Dalit youth entered a temple in Bibidharphal.

On Wednesday evening, a Dalit settlement in Akoletaki was attacked by a huge group of upper caste youths. At the end of it, the toll stood at two dead, nine injured and 60 huts ablaze.

The situation was said to be under control on Thursday. Three companies of State Reserve Police Force and over 20 officials are camping in the village. District Superintendent of Police RK Padmanabhan said that over a hundred people from Bibidharphal had been rounded up in connection with the clashes.

According to sources, it all began when Nana Patil and his friends, on their way to Bibidharphalin a jeep, picked up an altercation with one Munna Sarvagod. In the heat of the argument, Munna allegedly stabbed Patil with a knife. Patil was dead before he could receive any medical attention.

Enraged friends of Patil went to Bibidharphal and returned with a mob of over 150 persons, many waving swords, sticks and cans of kerosene and petrol. Within minutes, the mob surrounded the small village and began looking for Munna. When they could not find Munna, the mob went berserk. They dragged out people from the huts, thrashed them and later set their huts ablaze.

While they were at it, the mob chanced upon Munna's brother, Mukund Sarvagod, who was later stabbed to death. The mob had also taken care to snap telephone lines in the village to prevent word from getting out.

The injured have been admitted to the Solapur civil hospital.

Akoletaki villagers, however, told The Indian Express that the clashes were not due to Patil or Sarvagod. They said tension between Dalits and the upper castes hadbeen simmering ever since a Dalit youth had entered a temple in Bibidharphal. Village elders had, however, intervened and managed to keep trouble away.

But Akoletaki is in ruins today. The huts have been razed and pucca structures continue to smoulder. The blaze also claimed the village cattle. The dead were cremated under tight police vigil on Thursday morning. Prohibitory orders have been clamped at Akoletaki and will remain in force until May 20. The incident has had its repercussions in some parts of Solapur. Tension prevailed in Dalit-dominated pockets of Navi Peth, ST Stand, Tarti Naka and Bali Ves which wore a deserted look. Shopkeepers chose to keep their shutters down. Incidents of stone pelting on auto-rickshaws and city buses were also reported from some areas.