Nine injured in armed clash between two groups in Vaijapur; case filed against 20 to 25 people

Two groups clashed violently with weapons in Vaijapur town on Saturday. The incident took place on Yeola Road, near Hotel Shaan-e-Maratha and Jeevanshree Colony. Sickles, iron knives, iron rods, a fibre-handled shovel stick and wooden sticks were used in the fight. Nine people were injured.

Some of the injured are said to be in serious condition and were sent to different hospitals for further treatment. The clash is said to have been triggered by an old dispute during the Ganesh immersion procession. A case has been registered at Vaijapur police station against 20 to 25 people on separate complaints from both sides.

According to information from the police, Krishna Chandrakant Jadhav, 21, a resident of Yeola Road, filed a complaint. He alleged that, holding a grudge over the earlier quarrel during the Ganesh immersion, Shaan Pawar, Rohit Pathare, Pritesh Salunke, Vishal Pawar, Tushar Pathare and Adesh Shewale attacked them together with other staff of the hotel. It is alleged that blows were struck to the head and hands with iron knives, sickles and the fibre-handled shovel stick. The complaint also says others were beaten and threatened with death.

Krishna Jadhav, Nirbhay Pawar, Vishal Ramdas Kade and Sujit Rajput were injured in this attack.

Hotelier Bhushan Pawar (40, resident of Bajrang Chowk, Vaijapur) has filed a separate complaint over the same incident. According to him, a mob attacked near Hotel Shaan-e-Maratha over the old dispute between about 5 pm and 5.30 pm on Saturday. The complaint says Vishal Pawar was beaten with iron rods and wooden sticks with intent to kill and was seriously injured. Hotel staff were also beaten and some, it is alleged, had their heads broken. Rohit Pathare and Tushar Pathare of the Ganpati mandal were also reportedly beaten badly.

On this complaint, a case has been registered against Nitin Hond, Gaurav Hod, Gaju Rajput, Krish Rajput, Sanket Aher, Pratik Lute, Sujit Thakur alias Rajput, Vishal Kade, Rohit Aher, Harshad Rajput, Amar Rajput, Tushar Aher and Mayur Rahane, along with some others.

Vishal Pawar, Shaan Pawar, Santosh Shihre, Adesh Shewale and Bhushan Pawar were also injured in the incident. Right after the attack, the injured were admitted to the sub-district hospital in Vaijapur. Those in serious condition were referred to Ghati Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, to hospitals in Yeola and Kopargaon, and to private hospitals in the town. Relatives of some of the critically injured are distressed.

It has also emerged that one injured person was taken outside the town, beaten and thrown towards Station Road. Police had to search for several hours to find him.

A case over the Ganesh immersion procession dispute had already been registered with the police. Even so, two groups confronted each other again over the same quarrel and attacks with weapons followed. With mobs falling on each other in broad daylight carrying sickles, knives and iron rods, the question being raised is where the fear of the law has gone.