Tensions Flare In Uttarakhand S Vikasnagar After Man Killed 3 Injured In Clash Cops

Tensions flared in the Vikasnagar area of Uttarakhand’s capital after a man was killed and three others were seriously injured in a violent clash that broke out on Saturday evening between members of two communities over a water dispute in Dehradun district, police said

A group of protesters on Sunday allegedly set fire to the house of the main suspect in Bairagiwala, prompting heavy deployment of police personnel to maintain law and order.

“We have deployed adequate police personnel in the area to prevent any law-and-order situation. The house of one of the accused was set on fire by some protesters,” Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pramendra Dobhal said.

Police have identified the deceased as Vinod Kashyap, a resident of Bairagiwala in the Vikasnagar area.

According to a complaint lodged by Ashok Kumar, a resident of Bairagiwala, the dispute stemmed from an ongoing disagreement over irrigation water between his family and a neighbouring farmer, Imtiyaz.

The complainant alleged that at around 6.30 pm on Saturday, Imtiyaz arrived at their house along with 35-40 people armed with sticks and hammers and attacked members of the family. Kashyap sustained fatal injuries in the assault, according to the FIR.

Following the incident, members of Hindu right-wing organisations took to the streets on Saturday evening and demanded the demolition of the suspect’s property.

Meanwhile, a first information report (FIR) was registered against 12 named accused under Sections 103 (murder), 109 (attempt to murder), 191(2) (rioting) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Sahaspur police station in the early hours of Sunday.

Dehradun Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl. SP) Pankaj Gairola said that a manhunt has been launched to apprehend the attackers and police personnel remain deployed in the area and are closely monitoring the situation.