A clash between two groups during the Sri Siddalingeshwara Temple Jatra on Gurusunagi Hill of Karnataka's Yadgir district has resulted in the registration of an FIR against 13 people. Two people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and police are now looking for the other accused.
Yadgir District Superintendent of Police Prithvik Shankar said the incident happened in the jurisdiction of Wadgera police station. Police are investigating the reasons for the clash and identifying everyone involved, he said.
According to the police report, the Madiga community from Chamanahalli village came to the temple in an autorickshaw to attend the jatra and seek darshan. The dispute started when a youth was touched by the autorickshaw while it was reversing.
What seemed to be a verbal dispute turned into a physical struggle soon after. Sticks and stones were used in the fighting, and some people got hurt; there are reports of some hospitalizations. Dalit devotees were assaulted during the violent clash, local reports said.
Police also received a complaint of caste-based abuse in relation to the incident. But the accusation has not yet been established, and the police said it would be verified in the course of the investigation. Police are looking at all evidence and statements to determine what happened before, during and after the clash.
A clash between two groups during the Sri Siddalingeshwara Temple Jatra on Gurusanagi Hill, under the Wadgera police station limits, has led to the registration of an FIR against 13 people, Yadgir District Superintendent of Police (SP) Prithvik Shankar said on Monday.
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The incident has raised concerns and anger in the locality. Residents demanded swift action against those who could be accused of the violence. A local activist also called for severe punishment for those accused of the alleged assault, reflecting the growing pressure for a thorough investigation.
Police visited the site and conducted inspections there. They are collecting evidence and information to reconstruct the sequence of events. They are also working to establish the individual roles of those named in the case.
The registration of an FIR against 13 people constitutes the first step in a criminal investigation. Police will question those involved and investigate complaints from both sides, and two arrests have already been made. If investigators find out that more people have taken part in the crime, more arrests will be made.
This is the incident which has highlighted security and crowd management arrangements for large religious gatherings. Temple jatras generally attract large crowds of devotees, and even a minor dispute can quickly escalate when crowds gather in confined areas.
In the meantime, police are looking at the reason why the confrontation took place and whether the people involved actually made accusations or not. The caste-abuse complaint will be examined as part of the investigation, and any legal provisions will be based on the evidence of the authorities, he said.
The Yadgir police appealed for calm as the investigation is ongoing. Police still want to investigate the case and details of the case will be revealed, and more details will be revealed when testimony is sought and the rest of the suspects are sought to be found, police said, with the investigation ongoing.
