RAIPUR: A brawl between two villages took communal turn in Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur district, about 350 km north of Raipur, as some unidentified people held a meeting in which villagers were seen in a video taking pledge to boycott the Muslims.
Seven accused were arrested on Friday, additional SP (Ambikapur) Vivek Shukla told this newspaper, adding that the police are closely monitoring the situation and had reinforced its local intelligence network.
It all began after some Muslim villagers from Aara, out on a New Year picnic, had verbal altercation with the residents of Kundikala. Tempers became frayed resulting in youths from Aara allegedly barging into some houses, thrashing the locals in Kundikala and misbehaving with women.
Given the sensitivity of the episode, the police were alerted and an FIR was lodged at Lundra police station. Six were arrested but they got bail.
Later, villagers protested at the police station alleging that strong offences were not pressed against the accused. According to the police, the FIR was lodged after evaluating the complaint.
“If during the course of probe more details come out, accordingly the charges will be added,” said Akhilesh Kaushik, incharge of Lundra police station.
It was after this protest that the boycott event was held on January 5. The viral video showed villagers purportedly promising not to buy anything from Muslims or sell anything to them.
“We learnt some outsiders came to the village and publicly asked the inhabitants to take a pledge to boycott the Muslims. We are inquiring into it,” the additional SP said.