Bulldozers Roll On Homes Of Stone Pelters Who Attacked Cops Near Mosque in Rajasthan's Chomu

New Delhi: In a latest development in Rajasthan's Chomu violence case, the Jaipur administration intensified crackdown against those involved in the stone-pelting incident, with municipal authorities authorised to demolish illegal constructions linked to the accused after they failed to respond to official notices within the stipulated time.

The bulldozer action follows after a dispute over alleged encroachment near a mosque in Chomu. 

The Chomu Municipal Council reportedly has been given the go-ahead to proceed with demolition and sealing operations wherever violations are confirmed as notices which were pasted outside the houses of 24 identified stone-pelters, asking them to submit explanations or legal documents within three days, expired on December 31 without any response.

Meanwhile, in a bid to keep law and order in place during the demolition drive, two companies of police personnel and the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) have been deployed in the area.

Most houses were locked

Most of the houses where the stone-pelters reside were found locked during a visit to the Pathan Colony. Further probe revealed that notices were pasted on multiple homes and shops of stone-pelters following the violence that erupted in Chomu where local crowd started pelting stones at security officials who had gone to remove the stones at the main bus stand area of the town. 

Commenting on the case, Special Police Commissioner (Jaipur) Rahul Prakash said “So far, 19 accused have been arrested in connection with the stone-pelting. During interrogation, more names have surfaced. We are also examining video footage from the night of the incident to identify additional suspects,” as per reports.

Amid the bulldozer action, the municipal officials clarified that the demolition drive is being carried out strictly under legal provisions.

Sunil Kumar Swami, Assistant Accounts Officer of the Chomu Municipal Council, said notices were issued on December 29 concerning 20 illegal slaughterhouses and four other illegal constructions.

Authorities maintain that the bulldozer action is aimed at enforcing municipal laws and deterring violence and further arrests and demolitions are expected as identification through CCTV footage and mobile videos continues.

What Led to Chomu violence

A long-simmering dispute over alleged encroachment near a mosque in Chomu flared into violence, prompting police to clamp down swiftly with detentions, heavy deployment, and suspension of internet services to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control last month.

According to officials, the authorities attempted to clear stones placed outside a mosque and install railings as part of a traffic management and road widening initiative.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police for the West District in Jaipur, Hanuman Prasad Meena, said that a dispute had persisted over encroachment near a Kalandari Mosque in the area. While one group had voluntarily removed the encroachment, another one tried to install it, this time along with some iron angles.

According to reports, a meeting was held last month between the locals and the police, following which it was mutually decided to remove the stones outside the mosque that had been lying there for a long time. Reports indicate that there were also plans to construct an iron angle by the police administration at close proximity to the mosque.

However, after the stones were initially removed and the iron angle was placed, a section of people from the local community started installing an iron railing bordering the mosque. This sparked fresh tensions and the railings were removed by the police.

However, what started as a heated argument late night in December last year, soon escalated into violence around 3 am, leading to stone pelting at the police force. As the situation worsened, additional police forces were rushed in from several police stations to contain the situation.

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