New Delhi: A 26-year-old man, Tarun Kumar Butolia, was allegedly beaten with cricket bats, iron rods, and stones in the JJ Colony area of Uttam Nagar in West Delhi after a dispute between two families escalated Wednesday, with his assault leading to communal tensions in the area. He died during treatment the following day.
Eight of the accused—Umardeen (49), Jummadeen (36), Kamruddin (36), Mustaque (46), Muzzafar (25), Tahir (18), and Imran alias Bunty (38)—have since been arrested, and a minor has also been apprehended.
Communal tensions prevail in the area. Since the incident, protesters have torched vehicles, and clashes have injured many people. The police have barricaded the entire neighbourhood to maintain law and order.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Kushal Pal Singh, the police added murder charges and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to the case FIR after Tarun’s death.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) demolished the alleged “illegal” portions of a house linked to one of the accused Sunday in Uttam Nagar.
A senior MCD official said that the demolition was part of a “routine anti-encroachment drive,” and that it was not linked to the clash that took place on Holi.
“The encroachment was built upon the drains. The team are removing illegal construction built upon the drains in the area as they disturb the water flow. The structure was built on the drain,” the MCD official said.
The Delhi Police said an 11-year-old girl was playing with water balloons on her terrace Wednesday when she accidentally dropped one on her neighbour, a woman below. This incident led to arguments between the two families, who belong to different communities, and escalated into a scuffle.
Heavy police and paramilitary forces remained deployed in JJ Colony Sunday while earthmovers demolished the “illegally” constructed sections of one of the accused’s house. A large crowd had gathered outside and allegedly tried to attack the residence.
Police are examining CCTV footage from the area and recording witness statements to establish the exact sequence of events. Police said the injured persons from both families are undergoing treatment, and investigators will record their statements.
While police maintain a strict vigil to prevent any escalation, they also appealed to residents to keep the peace and ignore rumours.
Also Read: Northeast youth resort to irony instead of outrage over Delhi racial attack
‘What did Tarun do?’
Police said eight people were injured in the scuffle after the water balloon incident, and a case was registered. Four people were arrested, too, but the arguments between the two families continued.
Tarun’s uncle, Tek Chand, told ThePrint, “The woman began hurling abuses. She had a fight with us over the incident. We even apologised to her multiple times and told her that we would scold the child, but she remained adamant. Slowly, she gathered several family members, and they attacked the family playing Holi.”
However, Tarun allegedly was not involved in this. His family claimed he returned home around 11 pm on that day.
“Tarun had gone to celebrate Holi with his friends. When he was returning home, some eight to ten people thrashed him with cricket bats, iron rods, and stones. They repeatedly hit his head. When he was lying on the ground, they threw a big stone on his chest,” Tek Chand said. “Tarun did not do anything. He was a well-built young man. These boys never liked him, and this is why they killed him. But our family is left with only one question: why kill Tarun?”
Tek Chand said the family was preparing to go to sleep when neighbours came knocking on the door, informing them that Tarun’s body had been found.
“When we reached the spot, I saw he was breathing, but was completely unconscious. I kept asking him if he was ok. Our family was just praying.”
However, Tarun died during treatment a day later, on 5 March. Tarun’s family has since been demanding justice.
“We want justice. Those who attacked us were so enraged they could have even thrashed the little girl,” Tek Chand claimed.
Tarun was completing a course in digital marketing and would often help his father, a painter, by taking up part-time jobs, his family said.
Protests & an angry mob
Tarun’s family members, along with their neighbours, blocked traffic around the Uttam Nagar police station over the delay in arrests. Members of a Hindu political outfit also reached the police station to join the protests, raising slogans and demanding the immediate arrest of all those involved.
Some of the protesters allegedly tried to attack the house of the accused, prompting police personnel to intervene and disperse the crowd before the situation escalated.
“During the unrest, a few vehicles parked in the area were also damaged. Some protesters allegedly asked shopkeepers in the locality to close their shutters as tensions escalated in the area,” a police officer said.
Additional police personnel were deployed in the locality as a precautionary measure. “Extra police force has been deployed in the area. We are closely monitoring the situation, and no one will be allowed to breach law and order,” the officer said.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: Inside Bhai Preet Singh’s anti-mosque campaign in Delhi. Courts, clashes, claims
Only Yogiji can do justice in such cases. R=Cannot have much expectations from Rekha Gupta.
One wonders if Hindus/Buddhists/Sikhs/Jains ever behave like this in Pakistan or Bangladesh.