A minor road accident in Beed, Maharashtra, escalated into a violent clash between two communities, resulting in stone-pelting and police intervention to restore order.
Key Points
- A road accident between an autorickshaw and a motorcycle in Beed, Maharashtra, led to a violent clash.
- Members of two communities engaged in stone-pelting following the initial altercation.
- Police have registered cases against 31 identified individuals and 15-20 unidentified individuals for their alleged involvement in the violence.
- The weekly bazaar in Neknoor, a prominent market in the Marathwada region, was shut down due to the escalating tensions.
A collision between an autorickshaw and a motorcycle triggered violence, with members of two communities hurling stones at each other in Neknoor village in Beed district of Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.
Road Accident Sparks Altercation
Following the minor road accident which occurred on Saturday night near the bus stand on a highway, some men allegedly thrashed the rickshaw driver, identified as Ranjit Lokhande, police said.
At the time of the incident, Lokhande's sister, her children, their mother and another woman were travelling in the rickshaw. When his sister intervened to stop the assault, she too was allegedly abused and manhandled, a police official said.
Based on the complaint, Neknoor police registered a case against five persons.
Escalation and Aftermath
Meanwhile, the incident sparked tension in the village, which later escalated into stone-pelting between two groups.
Police said the mob violated prohibitory orders and attacked each other with stones around 9 PM.
As the dispute intensified, authorities decided to shut down Neknoor's famous weekly bazaar, considered one of the prominent markets in the Marathwada region.
Police registered cases against 31 people who have been identified for their alleged role in violence, and 15 to 20 unidentified individuals.
