Telangana: Conflict over road widening in Janwada results in 18 injuries

As many as eighteen persons, including women and children, were injured late on Tuesday in an alleged altercation over road-widening difficulties in Janwada village in Narsingi. After suffering head injuries, three of the victims were brought to Gandhi Hospital for treatment.

The building of a cement-concrete (CC) road from Mirjaguda village to Janwada is claimed to be the root of the dispute. A protest was organized by some villagers who claimed the road in front of the Methodist Church would encroach on their property, while another group of locals urged that it be enlarged.

On the other hand, it is said that Christians have proposed that the new road have the same dimensions as the old one. The argument between the two groups quickly descended into violence, with one group reportedly damaging the church’s belongings and committing vandalism by throwing stones at it.

“My people, belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) community, were verbally abused and beaten with iron rods and sticks,” a relative of one of the victims told TNIE. They also smashed the Holy Cross in addition to throwing stones at the church.

The cops showed up at the scene twenty minutes after the event. A case was then filed in accordance with Section 3 of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, as well as Sections 148 (rioting), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (punishment for rioting), 504 (verbal disrespect), and 295 A (deliberate and malicious intention of outraging religious sentiments) of the IPC.

In a similar vein, the opposing group filed a counter-firing complaint, claiming that churchgoers had gathered unlawfully and interfered with building activities. The FIR said, “They threw bricks and stones from the church towards the complainant and public.” Three villagers were assaulted during the brawl, according to the lawsuit. Charges of illegal assembly, rioting, and intentionally inflicting harm with hazardous weapons were also filed in this instance.

11 people detained; Section 144 in effect

Dr. RS Praveen Kumar, the president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state unit, paid a visit to Janwada on Wednesday. “More than 200 individuals used iron rods and sticks to attack the families within the church.” Not even a single polio sufferer was spared, according to Praveen Kumar.

“While the cause of the conflict may be widening of the road, it is purely based on hatred,” he claimed, alleging that the assault was carried out by members of the BRS and the BJP.

The BSP chief said that on Wednesday, 11 suspects were taken into custody by the police in Janwada as a result of ongoing demonstrations. He was later placed under preventative arrest by the police. In order to protect people’s lives and safety, Cyberabad Commissioner of Police Avinash Mohanty implemented Section 144 CrPc within the boundaries of the Mokila police station. Group meetings of more than five persons are forbidden under the restriction, which is in effect from February 14 to February 21.