Stone-pelting puts Atali village on the edge again
At least three persons, including two women from the majority community, were injured. They were admitted to a private hospital in Ballabhgarh.
After a lull, riot-hit Atali village under Ballabhgarh police station of Haryana's Faribadad district once again flared up after people of two communities pelted stones at each other around 3 pm on Wednesday.
At least three persons, including two women from the majority community, were injured. They were admitted to a private hospital in Ballabhgarh.
The incident happened when women of the majority community were offering prayers in a temple that is situated adjacent to a mosque. Both the religious places are located in the middle of the village and are surrounded by large number of houses belonging to minorities.
"When we were busy doing Parikrama around the temple at 3 pm on Wednesday, women and youth from the minority community started pelting stones from the roof tops of their buildings. As a result, women devotees panicked before running to an adjacent building to save themselves," said Bedan Devi (45), one of the injured women.
She along with 60-year-old Chameli Devi is recuperating in Ballabhgarh's Gold Field Hospital. The victim has claimed that peace was prevailing in the village till this incident. She added that this act of other community members was a provocation that prompted retaliation from the majority community members who too threw stones.
Meanwhile, a minority community representative also claimed that a majority community mob attacked them with swords and sticks, leaving one person injured.
Following the latest communal clash, Faridabad district administration has imposed Section 144 in the village. A large number of police personnel have been deployed in and around the village. The cops have surrounded the entire village and they have set up multiple layers of security.
Ballabhgarh Sadar Police Station SHO Balbir Singh said: "Investigation will prove which community first pelted stones. Faridabad police are not taking any chances and have deployed more than 1,000 personnel, headed by a JCP rank officer to prevent any further untoward incident."