Several injured in group clash over road widening, church in Janwada damaged

Hyderabad: Atleast three had head injuries while some had minor ones after a fight broke out between two groups in Methodist church in Janwada village, Narsingi of Ranga Reddy district. One group pelted stones on some people who were practicing a religion.

The incident happened on Tuesday night. The injured were treated in Gandhi hospital and got discharged.

The incident happened after there came an issue of road widening. While the villagers asked to widen the road, the members of the church protested calling it encroaching on their land.

During the attack, doors and windows of the church area were broken. Sources said that the attackers also assaulted women who came in their way. According to the victims, they claimed that they were attacked as they belonged to the downtrodden sections of the society.

According to one of the church member, “There has been road widening issues for years and the church objected since the road to left and right is being planned. The people came to start work and both sides of people started arguing and broke into a big fight."

Whie the Church people took refuge in church, the mob entered church and vandalized and attacked them. Some of attackers names are reported to police as they are identified as people from the same village.

Mokila police who reached the scene dispersed the mobs.

A case has been filed under the Section 3 of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Sections 143 (Unlawful assembly), 147 (Punishment for rioting), 148 (Rioting), 149 (Unlawful assembly), 224 (Resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension), 503 (Criminal Intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Telangana BSP President RS Praveen visited Janwada on Wednesday. However, he was stopped and subsequently arrested by the police.

In response, villagers protested by climbing a tower. Praveen raised concerns about the lack of arrests in the case despite serious injuries.

Bishop MA Daniel along with All India and HRC officials met Commissioner of Police in Cyberabad.

Commissioner assured strict action. Bishop and team also visited injured victims in Hospital.

Section 144 imposed:

With an intention to prevent danger to human life and safety, to prevent disturbance of public tranquility and to prevent occurrence of riot or an affray or obstruction to any person in his lawful discharge of duty, Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad Avinash Mohanty imposed section 144 Cr.P.C

a) Prohibit any gathering of (05) or more persons in the areas specified therein.

b) Prohibit people who do not ordinarily reside in the area or do not ordinarily have work in the area from entering the limits of the areas specified herein.

The order will be in force from February 14 to February 31, 11 pm in the limits of Mokila Police Station.

The following are exempted from the operation of this order.

• Police Officers on duty.

• Military Personnel on duty.

• Home Guards on duty.

• Funeral processions and marriage functions.

The public informed that any person violating the above orders shall be liable for prosecution.

Cyberabad.