By Aiswarya Raj
A man was killed and his family was attacked on Saturday evening, allegedly by their neighbours, over a dispute on irrigation in their agricultural fields in Dehradun, police said. The incident has led to communal tensions in the area and a large police contingent has been deployed in an effort to prevent further escalation.
According to police, Vinod Kumar and his family had an ongoing dispute with their neighbour, Imtiaz, over water supply in their fields. On Saturday evening, the altercation resulted in violence, leading to the death of Kumar. Three other family members, including the complainant in the matter, Kumar’s brother Ashok, are receiving treatment at the hospital.
Dehradun SSP Pramendra Dobhal said four people have been arrested in connection with the case. A part of the property belonging to the accused was demolished.
Following Vinod Kumar’s killing, groups and residents from the majority community gathered in the area, chanting anti-minority slogans and demanding the “encounter of the accused and razing of their houses with bulldozers”.
A group of people also tried to set fire to the house of the accused, said police. “They tried to enter the property, and set fire to the fields. However, police managed to contain it and curb further activities. We have deployed platoons of IRB, PAC, and other forces,” said SP, Crime, Jitender Chaudhary.
SSP Dobhal said, “It is true that crowds became unrestrained in certain areas and it is challenging to restore law and order. We are bringing in more forces from different areas.”
Sahaspur Circle Officer Anuj Kumar said a communally charged environment has been reported from the area. “We have the videos in which such speeches were made. We will look into those. However, our priority remains maintaining law and order. We have deployed officers from four police stations, two circle officers, and the Superintendent of Police, crime, to manage the area,” the CO said.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
