Mob attacks Muslim homes in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband, over half a dozen houses set ablaze
A mob vandalised and set fire to more than half a dozen houses belonging to Muslim families in Dutkaiya village of Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district on Sunday, February 1, forcing all Muslim residents of the village to flee their homes.
At least seven police personnel were injured while attempting to shield women and children from a mob numbering several hundred for hours, police officials said.
The violence followed a series of incidents that unfolded earlier in the day. According to the police, three men allegedly assaulted local residents on Sunday morning. One of the accused, Arif Khan, had previously been involved in a 2024 temple desecration case and was out on bail at the time.
Gariaband Superintendent of Police Vedvrat Sirmaur told The Hindu that Arif Khan, a resident of Dutkaiya village, had been sent to the Mana Juvenile Correctional Home in 2024 after he and two others allegedly vandalised the Chaveshwar Shiva temple in the village. Khan, who is now 18, was granted bail the same year but had not returned to the village until the early hours of Sunday.
Police officials said Khan and two accomplices from Raipur allegedly assaulted four men on Sunday morning, including at least one eyewitness in the temple desecration case. Following the incident, four cases were registered against the three accused, and villagers were assured that Khan would be arrested.
Despite this assurance, a small mob vandalised Khan’s house later in the day. Tensions escalated soon after, as a much larger mob from Dutkaiya and neighbouring villages gathered at the site.
Armed with sticks, bricks, stones and kerosene bottles, the crowd allegedly attempted to force entry into the homes of around 10 Muslim families who had locked themselves inside. Several vehicles were set on fire, and houses were vandalised and torched.
“The crowd set the vehicles ablaze and demanded that they be allowed to enter the homes of Muslims. Not only were we outnumbered, but there was also a manpower crunch due to the Rajim Kumbh,” a police officer was quoted as saying by The Hindu.
“For the next few hours, we stood guard and ensured that the mob did not enter or harm the residents, including women and children.”
“It was only after the arrival of the last batch that the police used force and dispersed the mob while rescuing over 20 residents in a bus,” the officer said, adding that at least two adults sustained injuries during the evacuation.
Police later discovered that six or seven children were trapped inside a madrasa in the village. They were rescued in a subsequent operation, during which six police personnel sustained grievous injuries.
Even after the situation appeared to be under control around midnight, violence continued. A woman from the mob allegedly hurled a brick at a police officer, causing severe head injuries, while several others, including senior officers, suffered blunt-force injuries.
According to police officials, families related to Arif Khan had left the village after the 2024 temple desecration incident, fearing reprisals, but were later persuaded by the administration to return. Residents said tensions between the two communities had existed earlier, citing economic and local disputes as contributing factors.
In an official statement issued on Monday, the police said, “The incidents led to unrest among villagers, and a crowd gathered near the accused’s house. The police immediately reached the spot, brought the situation under control, and dispersed the crowd. Necessary minimum force was used to prevent loss of life and property, and the injured were sent for treatment.”
Two FIRs have been registered in connection with the rioting, the police said.
