Four more people, including a minor, were booked for murder on Friday, two days after a 26-year-old man was killed in clashes between two families from different communities in Uttam Nagar’s JJ colony in Delhi, over a water-filled balloon thrown by a minor girl during Holi celebrations, police said. Four people were arrested earlier in connection with the incident.
Friday saw a massive protest by Hindu political outfits, blocking traffic for several hours. A group of protesters also set a car and a motorcycle on fire. Members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad held protests near the Uttam Nagar East metro station, bringing traffic to a halt on the main road. They chanted slogans, demanding swift and strict action against those responsible for Tarun's death.
Police had to use mild force to disperse the protesters after repeated appeals to vacate the road went unheeded. Heavy police deployment was made in the area to maintain law and order and Station House Officers (SHOs) from neighbouring police stations were also dispatched to assist in managing the situation and regulating traffic. Drones were deployed to monitor the protesters and identify persons involved in blocking the road.
How did the clash start on Holi?
Tarun, 26, succumbed to injuries sustained in a clash between two families from different communities during Holi celebrations on Wednesday. According to Tarun’s family members, the altercation started when an 11-year-old girl who was playing Holi on the terrace of her house threw a water balloon at her relatives below. The balloon fell on the road and burst, splashing coloured water onto a woman from the other family. Tarun's uncle Ramesh told Hindustan Times, “I apologised and even made the 11-year-old apologise,” he said. “What else could we have done?”
A heated argument ensued that quickly escalated into violence. Several people from both sides were injured in the fight, including Tarun, who was rushed to the hospital where he later died during treatment.
Tarun's grandfather Maan Singh said the woman abused them and later gathered several members of her family and community who attacked his family members while they were playing Holi. Singh also claimed that though the matter was settled temporarily, members of the other family later gathered and attacked Tarun when he was returning home.
Ramesh alleged that his nephew, who had no idea about the earlier clash, was attacked by “some eight to 10 people with sticks, rods and stones” when he entered the street. He also alleged previous confrontations with the same family. “This is not the first time, they attacked us during Holi around 12 years back,” HT quoted him as saying.
Was it a communal issue?
Mann Singh told HT that the families, originally hailing from Rajasthan, have known each other since the late 1960s, having lived together in slums near Uttam Nagar before shifting to Hastsal Colony.
Interestingly, HT quoted a senior police officer as saying that the families have a long history of run-ins with each other often resulting in fights over trivial issues.
“It’s not entirely a communal issue. The families have always fought over garbage, water, parking and other petty issues. They also get into physical fights and then sort out the issues later. We are still investigating from all angles,” the officer told HT.
Following the incident, Tarun’s family members and local residents staged protests outside the Uttam Nagar police station on Thursday and Friday, demanding swift action against the accused.
Police are reviewing CCTV footage and recording witness statements to establish the precise sequence of events, and have appealed to residents to maintain peace and not pay heed to rumours. They also said additional personnel will remain deployed in the area until the situation returns to normal.
