In an outbreak of communal violence, 25 houses were torched and as many ransacked in three villages of Howrah district on Monday after which curfew was clamped in the riot-torn areas.

Superintendent of Police Niraj K Singh said trouble erupted on Sunday night when a person went to a jewellery shop owned by Ashis Parui and told him to mortgage some gold ornaments.

Parui refused to do so contending that they were not gold, but bronze ornaments.

This led to a fight between the two and Parui lodged a complaint with the police who arrested the man on Sunday night.

Some members of one community went to the market place on Monday and ransacked stores and set ablaze houses, he said.

The two communities then set on fire 25 houses and ransacked an equal number of houses at Mirbazar, Ranihati and Khalisani villages.

Police fired about 20 teargas shells to disperse the warring groups, but failed to bring the situation under control leading to imposition of indefinite curfew in entire Panchla police station area and parts of adjacent Ranihati and Khalisani villages, Singh said.

The Rapid Action Force and a large police force were deployed in the area after the violence.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya told reporters in Kolkata that the the situation was now under control.