Amidst the celebration, gala, and gay of holi, a wave of fatality swept over Delhi’s Uttam Nagar after a clash between two communities claimed the lives of 26 year old Tarun on Wednesday, March 4.
The incident unfolded in JJ Colony, following a dispute between members of Hindu and Muslim families after coloured water from a balloon splashed on a woman. The local media reports that the colour was forcefully applied without her consent. It has also been reported that she was subjected to alleged harassment alongside this, escalating an argument which in return turned into a violent clash.
Injuries were reported from both the families, and Tarun, who sustained severe injury was rushed to hospital and later succumbed to injuries.
Tarun’s family alleged that the incident started when an 11 year old girl, threw a balloon filled with coloured water at her relatives below, the balloon fell on the road and splashed on the women. The family alleged that the women began hauling, and abusing and along with the family members attacked the deceased family.
The family alleged that although the dispute had appeared to settle initially, members of the other group later gathered and attacked Tarun while he was returning home. Tarun’s uncle, Ramesh, claimed that his nephew was unaware of the earlier altercation.
“The moment he entered the street, some eight to 10 people attacked him with sticks, rods and stones. My nephew had no idea about the fight, but he was still attacked. They thrashed him so badly that he died during treatment,” Ramesh said.
As the family mourned Tarun’s death, news of the incident spread through the locality, triggering communal tension after members of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad staged large protests on Friday, March 6, demanding action against the accused.
Police maintained heavy deployment in the area to keep the situation under control. Drones were also used to keep watch on protesters and identify those involved in blocking the road and disrupting traffic.
Amid the tension in the area, a car and a motorcycle parked in Uttam Nagar’s JJ Colony were set ablaze on Friday afternoon.
The Delhi Fire Services said it received a call about the fire at 2.02 pm.
“Fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and the flames were doused promptly. Police have been informed about the matter,” a DFS officer said.
Police said no injuries were reported in the fire incident and added that an investigation had been launched to determine who set the vehicles ablaze.
