UP: Inter-community dispute in Bahraich leaves 3 injured; 2 arrested
Police have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order though officials have dismissed claims of a that the fight was communally charged
A dispute at a tea shop here escalated into a clash between two groups from different communities, leaving three people injured including two women, police said on Thursday.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at Sadhuapur village in Hardi area. A case has been registered under relevant sections and two people have been arrested, the police said.
Police have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order though officials have dismissed claims of a communal angle calling it a private dispute between two parties involved.
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"The incident occurred at a tea shop in Sadhuapur village while locals Gulshan Bajpai and Ibran were having snacks. An argument turned into a physical fight," Mehsi Circle Officer (CO) DK Srivastava said.
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Ibran's father, Sipahi, filed a written complaint at the Hardi police station, alleging that Gulshan Bajpai and Sarvesh Bajpai attacked his 23-year-old son, daughter Sakroona (40) and a relative Noorjahan (48) with sticks, injuring them, he said.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 110 (attempt to culpable homicide), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 351(3) (criminal intimidation), Srivastava said.
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The duo has been arrested and the injured are undergoing treatment with their condition stated stable, he added.
The CO further said that the incident stemmed from an old altercation between the two families who reside nearby.
A thorough investigation is being conducted, and appropriate legal action will follow. There is no communal tension at the site and police is deployed to ensure peace and order, the officer said.
Sadhuapur village, where the incident occurred, is located about three kilometers from Maharajganj town in the Hardi area, which had also witnessed communal violence on October 13 during a Durga idol immersion procession.
Disputes over playing of music at the procession led to a clash, during which Ramgopal Mishra (21) from Rehua Mansoor village was killed.
The violence subsequently spread to Mahsi, Maharajganj, Sadhuapur, and parts of Bahraich city, leading to widespread arson, vandalism, and property damage worth crores.
Several individuals were injured in the riots, drawing significant attention across the state and nation. In the aftermath, many police officials, including station in-charges and senior officers, were transferred.
Deputy Inspector General of Devipatan Range was reassigned in December's first week, followed by the then Bahraich Superintendent of Police in the last week of December.
While officials have termed most transfers routine it is seen as a response to the Maharajganj violence.
