AMN /
Four people were killed and many injured in communal clashes in Peda village of Bijnor district Friday. Police said, the brawl erupted after a girl was allegedly harassed by some youth from another community. Some people opened fire during the violence, leaving four dead and at least five injured.
Five people have been arrested in this connection and two policemen suspended. Heavy police force has been deployed in the area in view of the incident. State DGP, S Javeed Ahmed said, the situation is under control.
According to family members, the mob first entered their house and started beating anyone they found, including women and children. With most of the men having breakfast on the balcony of the house, everyone in the ground floor rushed upstairs for help.
“Everyone converged towards the balcony and that’s when they started firing. The shooters had already positioned themselves in neighbouring houses and were waiting for us to come to the balcony so they could have a better view of us while they shoot,” said Khushnama, a family member. Imrana, mother of the harassed girl said, “It was a bloodbath. They did not spare our one-year-old Hinsa, neither did they have mercy on Ehsan Bhai who is handicapped.” Ehsan’s son-in-law Rizwan was also shot at and is said to be in a serious condition. A total of 20 people were injured in the gun fire, out of whom three succumbed to their injuries.
The assault however did not end with the firing. The balcony was covered with broken bricks which the family claimed were thrown by the attackers who were not armed. “They rained some bricks before going on a shooting spree. When they ran out of bullets, they threw more bricks, even as our dead family members were lying in a pool of blood,” said Aslam.
The attack finally concluded with the mob burning down a motorcycle and a small shop owned by the family. “The abuses, the yelling and laughing and the gun fire, these are things that will haunt me forever, along with the lifeless bodies of our family members,” Khushnama said.
The state government has announced an ex-gratia of 20 lakh rupees each to the kin of the deceased and five lakh each to the injured.