BHOPAL: A 19-year-old girl's suicide allegedly due to harassment by a 22-year-old youth from another community triggered violence in Umarcha village of Vidisha district of central Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday.
Six to eight houses reportedly belonging to the youth’s community were targeted and two vehicles, including a car and motorcycle outside the houses, were set ablaze.
Heavy police force has been deployed in the village, as a large section of the concerned village, is demanding bulldozing of the house of the accused youth, who has been booked and arrested.
The girl was found hanging inside her house on Tuesday and her body was first spotted by the girl’s brother, who alleged that he saw the 22-year-old youth from the other community rushing out of the house.
“Based on the allegations of the girl’s family about harassment by the concerned youth having led the girl to the extreme step, we registered a case of abetment to suicide and arrested the concerned youth on Tuesday evening only,” SP, Vidisha district Rohit Kashwani told TNIE on Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, the villagers took the girl’s body in a tractor and attempted to block the road. The villagers were demanding that the arrest of the accused youth wasn’t sufficient, as his house needed to be bulldozed.
Acting in the matter, the police convinced the villagers not to resort to the road blockade, after which the girl’s body was cremated at around 2.30 pm.
Just around two hours later, a large section of the village, particularly youths, went on the rampage, demanding that the accused be also booked for murder and his house bulldozed.
With the mob continuing to target properties of the particular community, police force from adjoining police stations too was pressed into action in Umarcha village.
The deputy inspector general of police (DIG-Bhopal Rural) OP Tripathi and SP-Vidisha Rohit Kashwani are personally supervising the police operations in the village, where the situation was stated to be under control by late evening.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)