DEHRADUN: Tension gripped the Bhagwanpur area of Roorkee in Haridwar district after a violent clash between two rival groups during a religious procession left two men dead and three others seriously injured on Sunday.
The incident occurred during a bhandara (community feast) organised as part of the Ravidas Shobhayatra in Binarasi village. Following the violence, heavy police deployment from multiple stations, including Jhabrera, Roorkee and Kaliyar, was carried out to prevent further escalation.
According to police sources, the confrontation began around 5 pm over a long-standing rivalry and a dispute linked to “social prestige”. What started as a heated argument quickly escalated into a violent brawl, during which firearms were allegedly used.
Anand (28), a resident of Binarasi village, died on the spot after sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest. Later the same night, police recovered the body of Mangeram, a member of the opposing faction, from a nearby field. Preliminary reports suggest that Mangeram was beaten to death.
The killings sparked protests by the victims’ families and local residents, who blocked the road by placing Anand’s body on it and refused to allow a post-mortem examination until the accused were arrested. Senior police officials eventually pacified the crowd, after which the bodies were sent for autopsy late in the evening.
“A heavy police force has been deployed in the village to maintain law and order,” said Shekhar Chandra Suyal, Superintendent of Police (Rural). “Three others, Vikas, Gagan and Yogendra, sustained pellet injuries and are undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital. A detailed investigation is under way.”
In the aftermath, incidents of vandalism were reported, with angry mobs targeting houses belonging to the rival group and damaging at least ten two-wheelers. There was also an attempted arson, with miscreants trying to set fire to a stack of fodder. However, locals intervened before the fire could spread.
The local intelligence unit and district police remain on high alert and are closely monitoring the situation to prevent retaliatory violence. While no arrests have been officially confirmed so far, several suspects are reportedly under investigation.