On April 10, a man identified as Kamal Singh was stabbed by three youth named Fareed, Aabid and Sameer over a minor argument in Chhabra, Baran district in Rajasthan. The incident took the shape of a major communal tension on April 11 (Sunday).
As per reports, incidents of stone-pelting took place during the violence. At least six shops and many vehicles parked in the area were burned down. After the fire incident, the power supply was cut off to avoid further damage. The administration had imposed a curfew on Sunday evening. Internet services were barred to avoid the spread of any misinformation or provocative messages.
Internet services in the area have been suspended till 4 pm on April 13.
The incident that led to the violence
On Saturday, Kamal Singh, a resident of the Chhabra subdivision, was buying fruits from the market. He got into an argument over car parking with the three youth named Fareed, Aabid and Sameer. During the fight, the boys took out a knife and attacked Kamal. The shopkeepers at the scene intervened to stop them. Rakesh Nagar, one of the shopkeepers who had intervened and Kamal were injured in the incident. They were admitted to the hospital for treatment.
After the incident, a group of people allegedly reached the police station to demand action against the three accused. The police detained the accused and interrogated them. After learning about the police action, some people gathered at the Dharnavada intersection on April 11 morning. People of both communities started stone pelting at each other leading to a stampede in the market.
राजस्थान के बारां जिले मे दो संप्रदायों के झगड़े के बाद हालात देखिए ,कहाँ हैं क़ानून व्यवस्था @ashokgehlot51 जी
— Manish Bhattacharya (@Manish_IndiaTV) April 11, 2021
दुकाने लूट ली गयी,गाड़ियाँ जला दी गयी ,दो संप्रदायों क़े झगड़े मे पूरे इलाक़े मे दहशत फैली हुई है
@indiatvnews @BJP4Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/uoKGPsdw9f
While at least six shops were set on fire, other shops were looted and ransacked. Vehicles parked in the region were also set on fire. The vehicles of the fire department were attacked by the rioters. Around 12 police personnel also got injured while trying to control the violence.
राजस्थान में बारां जिले के छबड़ा कस्बे में भड़की हिंसा, दंगाईयों ने लगाई दुकानों में आग,कस्बे में कर्फ्यू लगाया,, दंगाइयों को काबू में करने के लिए पुलिस ने आंसू गैस के गोले दागे@PratapSSinghvi #Rajasthan #baran #chabra #Crime #India #Politics pic.twitter.com/yCYuRWtp4V
— News 4 Rajasthan (@news4rajasthan) April 11, 2021
Later, police had to restore to lathi-charge and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. On learning about the incident, SP Vinit Kumar Bansal and Collector Rajendra Vijay rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation. By the evening, the situation was under control. Additional forces were called from the nearby police station. Ravi Dutt Gaur, Inspector General, Kota, also reached the spot.
BJP leader condemned the violence
Pratap Singh Singhvi, MLA and former Minister, said, “The incident could have been avoided if the local police had taken the incident between the boys of the two communities seriously on Saturday evening. It is the failure of the local police that there was a huge loss where shops of innocent traders were burnt.”
#छबड़ा में आज हुई घटना निंदनीय है। शनिवार शाम लड़कों के बीच हुई घटना को अगर स्थानीय पुलिस गंभीरता से लेती तो आज की घटना टाली जा सकती थी। शनिवार की घटना के बाद वहां के स्थानीय लोगों को लगता कि @PoliceRajasthan सुस्ती छोड़कर कार्यवाही कर रही है तो आज की दुर्घटना घटित नहीं होती।
— Pratap Singh Singhvi (@PratapSSinghvi) April 11, 2021
In a follow-up tweet, he requested Baran Police to ensure no innocents get booked under the pretext of the violence.
यह स्थानीय पुलिस की नाकामी है कि #छबड़ा में आजाद सर्किल से लेकर अलीगंज व लोटाभैरुं में भारी नुकसान हुआ, जिसमें निरपराध व्यापारियों की दुकानें जलाई गई। मैं लोगों से शांति-सद्भावना बनाए रखने की अपील और @BaranPolice को आगाह करता हूं कि बेकसूर लोगों को झूठे मुकदमों में न फंसाया जाए।
— Pratap Singh Singhvi (@PratapSSinghvi) April 11, 2021
Section 144 has been imposed in Chhabra, Baran by the collector.