Restaurant bill sparks deadly religious riot in India

MUMBAI (AFP) - A row over an unpaid restaurant bill in a western Indian city escalated into a riot between Hindus and Muslims that left four people dead and 175 injured, police said on Monday.

The unrest broke out in Dhule in Maharashtra state on Sunday, special inspector general Deven Bharti told AFP. Four rioters were killed by police firing while 113 policemen were among the injured, he said.

Mr Bharti said investigations were still under way, but it appeared that a quarrel over a restaurant bill had provoked a mass brawl that left shops smashed, motorbikes burned and glass strewn across the streets.

Previous riots between Hindus and Muslims in Dhule, which has a population of about 400,000 and is located 330 km from Mumbai, broke out in October 2008, leaving 10 dead.