Nineteen people have been arrested in connection with a stone-pelting incident that broke out during a Ram Navami procession in Bhikraipur area of Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district, police said on Saturday.
“We have arrested 19 accused out of the nearly 50 persons named in the FIR from both sides involved in the stone pelting incident during the religious procession on Friday evening,” the city SP said.
“They were paraded at the spot where the incident had taken place before being remanded to judicial custody,” he added.
According to officials, at least six people sustained injuries when clashes erupted on Friday evening as the procession passed through the locality. The situation, however, was brought under control soon after police intervened.
Dhanbad City Superintendent of Police Ritvik Shrivastav said that 19 individuals have been taken into custody so far, out of around 50 people named in the FIR. Those arrested have been sent to judicial custody.
Police officials said the accused were taken to the site of the incident as part of the investigation before being produced in court. Sindri Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ashutosh Kumar Satyam confirmed that the arrests were made following identification of those allegedly involved from both sides.
Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar described the clash as a minor altercation that escalated briefly during the procession. He said the incident involved groups of teenagers from two communities and was swiftly contained.
“It was a minor incident of stone pelting between teenagers of two communities during the Ramnavami procession. However, police intervened in time, and the situation was brought under control soon. Everything is normal in the area at the moment,” the SSP said.
Authorities have since deployed additional security personnel in the area as a precautionary measure. Police said the situation in Bhikraipur remains peaceful and under control.
