Palamu: Two clashes during Lakshmi idol immersion, police open fire in air to disperse mobs
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, November 10: Police intervention prevented two separate clashes from escalating during Lakshmi idol immersion processions in Palamu…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, November 10: Police intervention prevented two separate clashes from escalating during Lakshmi idol immersion processions in Palamu district on Monday evening, although the incidents left several policemen injured and damaged police vehicles.
Police fired four rounds in the air at Raksaha village under Rehla police station limits to disperse an aggressive mob that had allegedly attacked and confined police personnel. A separate clash at Sindurya village under Satbarwa police station limits also resulted in stone-pelting, injuries to policemen and damage to two police vehicles.
There was no loss of life in either incident, police sources said.
Police team attacked during clash at Raksaha
The first incident occurred at Raksaha village under Rehla police station limits, around seven kilometres from the nearest police station.
SDPO Bishrampur Chiranjeev Mandal said, “Youths in the immersion procession were inebriated and had a conflict of interest in playing DJ songs and music.”
A village chowkidar accompanying the procession informed Rehla police about a scuffle among members of the immersion procession.
A police team rushed to the spot and attempted to restore normalcy. The personnel asked the processionists to stop playing DJ music and proceed to the police station, SDPO Mandal said.
However, the situation took an ugly turn when members of the procession allegedly became aggressive and turned against the police team.
“The members of the immersion procession grew defiant and aggressive and closing in their own rift they on the spur of the moment rallied against the police team,” said Rehla police station officer-in-charge Gulshan Biruwa, who was leading the police team.
According to the police officer, the procession turned into a hostile mob, which shouted abuses at the police and heckled the personnel before pelting them with stones.
Biruwa said four policemen, including him, sustained injuries in the stone-pelting. A police vehicle was also damaged.
“A siege was laid down by the mob. Cops and officials were restrained,” SDPO Mandal said.
He further alleged that members of the mob attempted to snatch the policemen’s mobile phones to prevent them from recording videos of their alleged confinement.
Police eventually resorted to firing in the air to disperse the mob and secure the safe passage of the trapped personnel, Biruwa said.
The police fired four rounds in the air.
Police sources said around 22 people had been identified and named as accused in an FIR registered under cognisable and non-bailable sections of the law.
Second clash at Sindurya; two police vehicles damaged
The second incident took place at Sindurya village under Satbarwa police station limits, around 12 kilometres from the nearest police station.
According to SDPO Sadar Rajesh Yadav, the trouble initially began as a dispute among members of two separate Lakshmi idol immersion groups.
A group that had completed its immersion reportedly approached another group and began interfering in its activities, triggering resentment and eventually a physical altercation.
“There were two immersions at Sindurya village,” Yadav said, adding that the dispute escalated into a brawl and fisticuffs.
DJ music was again at the centre of the dispute. Police said several members of the second immersion group were heavily intoxicated.
The internal dispute subsequently turned into an attack on the police after personnel imposed restrictions on DJ music in an attempt to control the situation.
Policemen were allegedly pelted with stones, leaving a couple of personnel injured. Two police vehicles were also damaged.
Yadav said an FIR had been registered against more than 40 identified people, besides around 20 unidentified persons.
Police deny negligence
Police sources said such incidents had not been witnessed during Lakshmi Puja immersion processions in the area in previous years.
Police officials denied that the force had been caught unprepared or had failed to anticipate the situation.
A police officer said the sudden nature of the clashes and disputes over DJ music among procession members had made it difficult to foresee the escalation. However, once information about the brewing tension reached the police, personnel responded promptly.
The officer also maintained that the police exercised restraint despite sustained stone-pelting and damage to vehicles.
Police sources said clashes among processionists, allegedly fuelled by alcohol consumption, disputes over DJ music and rivalry between groups, posed a serious threat to public order. The police had to make considerable efforts to bring both situations under control.
