Mob Attacks Minority Homes in Chhattisgarh Village as Police Shield Residents
Mob Attacks Minority Homes in Chhattisgarh Village as Police Shield Residents
Violence erupts in Dutkaiya village as a mob torches houses of minority families while police protect civilians; several officers injured amid a long standoff tied to a temple desecration case.
A mob in Dutkaiya village of Gariaband district erupted into violence on Sunday, torching houses owned by minority families and forcing residents to barricade themselves inside their homes for safety. Police said the clashes lasted for several hours as hundreds gathered from Dutkaiya and nearby villages, armed with sticks, bricks, stones and kerosene bottles. The chaos began after an incident linked to a temple desecration case, with three men involved in the past turning up in the village.
Police reports said at least seven policemen were injured while shielding more than two dozen people, including women and children, as the mob attempted to enter the homes of the targeted families. A police team was deployed to calm the situation and counsel residents against further provocation, but a larger crowd soon gathered despite attempts to maintain order.
The violence is traced to 2024 when Arif Khan, a Dutkaiya resident, was placed in the Mana Juvenile Correctional Home after he and two others allegedly vandalised the Chaveshwar Shiva temple in the village. Khan, now 18, was granted bail the same year but did not return to the village until Sunday, when he and two accomplices from Raipur allegedly assaulted four men, including at least one eyewitness of the desecration case.
Authorities reported that the crowd damaged vehicles and set several structures on fire, targeting the homes of around 10 Muslim families who had locked themselves indoors. Four cases have been registered against Khan and his accomplices, and police promised to arrest him.
The incident underscores persistent communal tensions in the region and highlights the challenges authorities face in protecting minority residents while maintaining public order.
