Caste clashes leave 2 dead, over 30 injured in Bavla village

Two people were killed and more than 30, including 6 policemen, injured when the Bharwad and Koli communities clashed at Dedhal village in the Bavla block of Ahmedabad on Monday.

Of the 30, injured, 13 sustained bullet injuries after the police opened fire to contain the violence. The violence erupted after a mob of the Koli community reportedly attacked the Bharwad settlement at Dedhal over a minor tiff of boarding a share-rickshaw at Dedhal village late on Sunday evening.

The police fired 30 rounds and lobbed 20 teargas shells after a lathi-charge failed to contain the violence. While some of the injured were treated at the Bavla Arogya Kendra, 22 were rushed to Vadilal Sarabhai Hospital in Ahmedabad.

The mob also set a house on fire, besides throwing some tractors, motorbikes and a ‘chakda’ into the nearby ponds. The Bharwads of the village alleged that while the tension was simmering for the last few days, the Koli Patels were holding meetings and were planning the attack.

"They came once in the morning and drove us out of our houses," said Bharat Bharwad from the village. "Later a mob of about 3,000 people came back in the afternoon and started assaulting our people. While a lot of us fled the village, they set a house on fire and burnt at least two buffalo calves.

Sixty-five-year-old Chichiben said even she was not spared. "They beat me up badly and ransacked my house," she said.

J D Jhala, Ahmedabad Deputy Police Superintendent, said there was some tension between the two communities over boarding the share rickshaws. On Monday morning the Koli Patels from the villages around got together and attacked the Bharwads at Dedhal, he said, adding that the police had a difficult time in handling the situation and had to open fire, besides lobbing teargas shells at the crowd.

MN Pandya, sub-inspector, Bavla said when they rushed to the spot to contain the situation, the crowd started pelting stones on them and they had to seek help from the State Reserve Police (SRP). He, however, said that Ajit Koli and Manu Koli, who died in Monday's violence were victims of the community clash and not police firing. "The deaths have been due to wounds inflicted by some sharp-edged weapon and are not the results of a bullet injury," said Pandya.