Violence broke out in Amabeda village of Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Thursday after tensions over a disputed burial escalated, leaving several people injured and resulting in the torching of two churches and damage to multiple properties.
The unrest began in Bade Tewda gram panchayat, around 150 km south of Raipur, following the burial of 70-year-old Chamraran Salam on private land owned by his family. Chamraran, who died on December 15 while undergoing treatment, was the father of local sarpanch Rajman Salam.
According to police, a section of villagers objected to the burial, alleging it was carried out secretly and did not follow traditional tribal customs. Some residents claimed that the sarpanch had converted to Christianity and accused the family of conducting Christian burial rites, triggering protests.
The United Christian Forum alleged that a large mob incited villagers by claiming that, under the PESA Act, they had the right to exhume the body, asserting that the land belonged to a local deity and that a Christian burial was therefore impermissible.
Based on complaints from villagers, an Executive Magistrate ordered the exhumation of the body on Thursday. Police said the remains would be sent for post-mortem examination and a probe into the incident was underway.
“Legal action will be taken based on the findings,” Kanker police said, adding that property damage occurred during the clashes.
The situation, tense since Wednesday, deteriorated into stone-pelting between groups. Around 20 police personnel, including Additional Superintendent of Police (Antagarh) Ahish Banchhor, and several villagers were injured. Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd and restore order.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.