Jaipur: Police mishandled the escalating disorder in Tonk's Deoli-Uniara constituency that followed the slapping of a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) by Naresh Meena. A series of alleged intelligence failures and operational missteps allowed the situation to spiral into widespread violence, stone-pelting, and arson.
Meena slapped SDM Amit Chaudhary at a polling booth in Samravata village around noon on Wednesday, but police failed to act promptly. Meena could have been arrested immediately after the incident. Instead, the delay in taking action against him allowed tensions to build.
A second opportunity to act arose later that night, when villagers gathered in large numbers and indulged in stone-pelting. Although police briefly detained Meena, it failed to secure him as the villagers surrounded police peronnel and freed him from custody.
The situation deteriorated on Thursday when Meena reappeared at the protest site after remaining out of sight overnight. Police officials feared that arresting Meena could trigger a violent backlash from his supporters. Sources indicate that police deliberated for nearly three hours on how to proceed. Ultimately, it detained Meena again, which immediately led to a law-and-order crisis.
Witnesses and sources pointed out glaring lapses in police preparedness. Despite the slapping incident and visible anger among villagers, only a small number of police personnel were stationed in the area. Their presence was insufficient to manage the growing crowd, which eventually swelled to between 2,000 and 3,000 people.