Weddings of two Dalit sisters called off after traffic accident escalates into violence in Mathura

A minor traffic accident in the Refinery area of Mathura escalated into a violent clash, leading to the wedding ceremonies of two sisters from a Dalit family being called off and injuries to several guests.

A case was registered by the father of the brides against 15 named accused from upper caste and five including two main accused have been arrested, stated Sonu Kumar, the in charge of Refinery police station in Mathura on Friday.

The incident took place in Karnawal village, located within the limits of Mathura district, where a barat had arrived from a village in Deeg district, Rajasthan, for the wedding of Padam Singh’s two daughters.

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The FIR stated that on Friday night, both brides had gone to a beauty parlour in preparation for the marriage ceremony. The brides were returning with relatives when their car brushed a motorcycle.

Following this, Lokesh, Rohtash and Satish, who were on the motorcycle started an argument. The accused used force, thrashed the relatives and snatched valuables. They also pulled the women out of the car and assaulted them.

When the bride’s family learned of the attack, Padam Singh, along with some relatives who had come for marriage rushed to the spot.

However, the suspected attackers also called their relatives. In the ensuing clash, several people were injured, including Padam Singh, who suffered a head injury.

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The accused also used offensive language with casteist slurs, stated the FIR.

The violence continued at the wedding venue when Satish and some others arrived in a tractor-trolley and rammed into two vehicles. They then allegedly assaulted the guests who tried to intervene.

Later, despite police intervention and attempts at mediation, the grooms refused to proceed with the weddings and the Barat returned.

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The FIR, a copy of which is with HT, stated that the case has been registered under sections 191(2) (rioting), 191(3) (rioting with a deadly weapon), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 304 (snatching), 109 (attempt to murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 324(4) (mischief), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 3(2)(v) of The Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, against 15 named individuals and several unidentified others.

Sonu Kumar, the in charge of Refinery police station in Mathura informed on Sunday evening that raids are underway to apprehend the remaining accused and the law and order situation in the area is under control.