A dispute over the location of a makeshift gate erected by a Navratri mandal led to clashes between two communities at Rabodi in Thane on Monday night, leaving one person dead, several injured and property worth lakhs damaged.

While one person was killed and several injured when police opened fire, it was the police, caught between the warring communities, who bore the maximum brunt. According to the police records, 39 police personnel, including eight high-ranking officers, were injured and one constable admitted to the Wockhardt Hospital in Mulund is reported to be critical.

Tension had been brewing in Rabodi for the last four days after an entrance made up of bamboo poles covered with saffron cloth and a saffron flag was erected by Navshakti Mahila Mandal at Rabodi Koliwada for Navratri celebrations.

“The people from the Muslim community objected to the saffron-clad kamaan (entrance) and there had been meetings between the two communities over the issue. They wanted us to either remove the saffron cloth or move the entrance back so that they would not have to walk under it,” said Ratnaprabha Patil, president of the Navshakti Mahila Mandal. The clashes broke out on Monday evening when the police were trying to broker a compromise.

Patil said that all hell broke loose when an armed mob attacked the police station and then vandalized the entrance in the presence of policemen who were outnumbered by the mob brandishing knives, swords and lathis. What ensued was rioting and arson in which shops, residence and vehicles belonging to members of both communities were targeted. In all, 21 shops, four houses and 31 vehicles were set afire and a police chowkie, five shops, four houses and 38 vehicles were damaged.

The police resorted to firing in which a youth identified as Moshim Khan (22) was killed. Eighty-eight rounds were fired at four locations — Kranti Nagar, Bapuji Nagar, Laxman Patil Chowk and Paras Naka. Besides the 39 police and two Home Guard personnel, 21 civilians including three journalists were injured.

“Every year there would be a dispute over this entrance as they (mandal) would advance it further and there would be objections to it. This year things got out of hand,” said Zubair Maniyar, a resident of Khaton Apartment which is a stone’s throw away from the Navratri pandal.

Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil visited the area in the wee hours of Tuesday and took stock of the situation. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sudhir Dabhade said that the situation was under control as the streets were being patrolled by police, state reserve police force and the Border Security Force.