Last Sunday, in the Maharajganj town of Bahraich, after stone pelting during the Durga idol immersion procession, Rehuva resident Ram Gopal Mishra was shot dead. This fire of violence gradually spread throughout the district. People's houses were burnt. Relationships were scorched. The heat reached even Sadbhavana. Public life was affected for four days. People were confined to their homes. Something similar had happened 41 years ago.
Coincidentally, the month was also October. Then there was a bloody conflict between two communities over a piece of land. Two people lost their lives in the riot and about 19 were injured. Among them, three police personnel on duty along with the common people were also wounded.
Preparation for Panchayat and stone pelting
The morning of 25 October 1983 was a little different from other days. Police and administrative officials had reached the Brahmapuri locality to meet with people of both communities to resolve the dispute.
Even before the reconciliation exercise could begin, one person instigated people to start pelting stones at the officials. The police somehow rescued the officers from the spot.
Firing guns on the police, two were killed in retaliation
The crowd gathered at the house of a lawyer in the locality. After sloganeering, stone pelting started. When the police arrived, the agitated people started firing from guns. To control the crowd, the police retaliated, in which two persons died.
Later the police also arrested the lawyer. After this, violence and arson continued at various places for about 15 days. Seeing the matter escalating, the then DIG of Faizabad Range took charge and then curfew was imposed.
The dispute has been going on since 1975
The dispute between the two communities regarding land has been going on since 1975. Meanwhile, in October 1985, construction was started on the mosque built on a part of the land. On this, the other party took a stay order from the court. The other party established a Shivling near the well-built in the disputed land. On this, the administration confiscated the concerned land. But the dispute did not stop. On this, the police and administrative officials tried to reconcile by talking to the senior people of both communities. But it was not possible.
What is the whole matter?
On Sunday evening, in Maharajganj town of Mahsi tehsil of Bahraich, after a dispute over singing in the Durga idol immersion procession, the youths of the other community started pelting stones. When the Durga idol was broken due to this, the members of the Puja committee started protesting, and then the people of the other community killed Ram Gopal Mishra (24).
Protests had started in the entire district against the incident. The people of the immersion committee started protesting by blocking the Bahraich-Sitapur highway near the Chahlari Ghat bridge. The Bahraich-Lucknow highway was also blocked. Violence broke out in Bahraich due to the failure of the police administration. Security arrangements were inadequate on the day of idol immersion.
There was no input of violence. The surprising thing is that on Monday, for the second day, the officers proved unsuccessful in making security arrangements. Therefore, there was a riot, vandalism, and arson on the second day. The police intelligence system failed in the whole matter. Every year idol immersion takes place in the city, in which a procession is taken out with a DJ. In such a situation, it was the responsibility of the police officers to make strong security arrangements. Because the route of the procession is already decided. However, the Bahraich police and administration did not take it seriously.
This is the reason that when the riot started, the police force proved to be insufficient. The rioters took over. They did whatever they wanted. Gopal Mishra was shot dead.
A total of 13 cases were registered in violence.
A total of 12 cases were registered in the violence case, out of which 10 were in Hardi police station. Out of these, 62 accused have been sent to jail, while on Thursday, a case was registered against two accused in Nanpara Kotwali under various sections including a murderous attack in the case of firing on the police and running away. With this, the total number of cases has now become 13.
The main accused of Maharajganj violence of Mahsi tehsil of Bahraich was referred to the medical college after Mohammad Taleem alias Shabbu and Sarfaraz alias Rinku were injured in a police encounter near Handa Basehari canal of Nanpara. Three other accused Abdul Hameed, Faheem, and Mohammad Afzal were also arrested. After the accused were produced at CJM residence on Friday, the five accused were sent to jail in judicial custody for 14 days under tight security of RRF PAC and police.
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