Riot-hit parts normal as curfew relaxed for 2 hrs

The riot-hit parts of the old city remained incident-free on Thursday as curfew was relaxed for the first time since Monday.
No untoward incident was reported during the two-hour break from curfew.
Residents, however, said that two hours were not enough keeping in mind the long queues at vegetable, medical and general stores.
There was a mad rush at the markets and even the ATMs were soon empty.
The police had to resort to mild lathi charges at some places where the curfew deadline had expired. Many residents could not buy enough stocks as a large number of them were yet to receive salaries as it was the first day of the month.
Traders made a killing as they jacked up the prices of essential commodities des-pite claims by the government of monitoring the same. In some areas a litre of milk was sold for Rs 100 and three-day-old vegetables for Rs 50- a- kilo. Eggs were priced at Rs 50 per dozen, bananas Rs 50 per dozen, grapes at Rs 60 per kg. Even medicines were
being sold for thrice their market price. The home minister, Ms P. Sabita Indra Reddy, said that the police had booked four traders for selling essential commodities in black.
In the morning, confusion reigned high as some residents of Mirchowk and Falaknuma came out from their houses at 8 am, though, curfew relaxation in these areas was from 11 am.
Curfew was relaxed from 8 am to 10 am in nine police station limits and from 11
am to 1 pm in eight police station limits. The police commissioner, Mr A. K. Khan, said there would be no relaxation in the eight police station areas of the new city where curfew had been imposed on Tuesday night after clashes