Violence erupts after accused out on bail assaults residents

 

 

 

Communal tensions boiled over into violence in Dudhkaiya village near Rajim in Gariyaband district, on Sunday evening. What started as a clash quickly escalated, with villagers from one community setting fire to a house and car belonging to members of another community, sparking panic and chaos. In response to the grave situation, police have deployed heavy forces across the village, turning it into a virtual fortress. IG and SP rushed to the scene after the violence erupted. Crime Branch teams arrested three accused, including the main perpetrator who had fled to Raipur after the clash. Gariband SP Vedvrat Sirmour confirmed the arrests. Tensions simmered late into the night between the two communities. The IG’s arrival helped calm things slightly, but the village remains under tight security with curfew-like conditions.

 

The conflict traces back three years, when a man from one community allegedly demolished an idol of Lord Shiva. Villagers filed a complaint, leading to his arrest and imprisonment. Upon his release, the man reportedly attacked members of the other community with intent to kill. Enraged villagers retaliated by torching his house and car. The violence intensified with stone-pelting and lethal assaults on both sides. A few vehicles were also torched and stones and bricks were hurled at police personnel attempting to control the situation. Five to six police personnel sustained injuries, he said. Police from neighbouring Rajnandgaon, Dhamtari, and Mahasamund districts rushed in. When forces used lathicharge to control the mob, agitated villagers turned on them with sticks and stones. IG and SP remained on-site to oversee operations.