Clash over property dispute in Noida: 3 more held for ‘pelting stones, firing in air’

NOIDA: Police on Monday arrested three more suspects in connection with the pelting of stones and firing in the air during a clash between two groups in Shahdara village on Sunday morning, taking the total arrests to 8.
Earlier, after coming upon a video of the clash, which erupted over a property dispute between two half-brothers, police had arrested two people from one group and three from another. Police said some people received minor injuries in the clash, but nobody received bullet wounds.
“We were looking for the other accused and managed to arrest three more suspects from one group. They include Naveen Bhati, Rambir Bhati and Jitram Singh, all residents of Shahdara village,” said a senior police officer.
Police filed an FIR against the arrested under IPC sections 307 (murder attempt), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death) and 149 (unlawful assembly).
“The property dispute between the two groups is sub judice in the court. We sent all the suspects to judicial custody after producing them before a magistrate,” an officer said.
The video shows two groups throwing stones and hitting each other with sticks as several gunshots ring out. The incident relates to the family of village resident Surajmal Bhati whose first wife, Chandramati, had a son named Balraj before she passed away in 2001. Later, his second wife, Virmati, also birthed a son, Kesraj.
Police said when Surajmal passed away in 2004, Virmati divided his property into three parts—one for herself and two for the sons. When Virmati passed away in 2016, her biological son, Kesraj, took over her share of the property. However, his half-brother Balraj wanted half of that share and approached the court.
Vishal Pandey, additional DCP of Central Noida, said Kesraj had already sold off most of what was with Virmati, and the court distributed the rest and gave Balraj a share. Then on February 17, the court revoked the stay order on the property. “After that, Balraj’s son, Naveen, a local strongman affiliated with a political party, tried to enter the property with his elder brother, Hatam, forcibly, leading to a fight with Kesraj’s family members,” Pandey said.
Earlier, police had arrested Hatam, his wife Rinki, and extended family members and friends of Kesraj, Sumit, Rajendra and Karan.