Ashta (Madhya Pradesh): A group clash in Ashta, which left three persons dead and over 18 injured on Wednesday, descended into a major problem for the administration on Thursday when the kin of the deceased blocked traffic, official sources said.
The clash took place between the two groups of the Banjara community in Pipal Ki Sawari village in Ashta block under Siddhiganj police station.
Three persons belonging to one group lost their lives in the incident and more than 18 people of both the factions suffered serious injuries.
The police said that the relatives of those who died in the incident refused to cremate the bodies and squatted on the road.
The cops took the squatters to the police station and pacified them and, after that, they agreed to cremate the bodies.
A huge contingent of cops from Ashta, Siddhiganj, Jawar and Parwati police stations was sent to Pipal Ki Sawari to maintain peace there.
Inspector general of police Irshad Wali and superintendent of police Mayank Awasthi rushed to the spot with other officials of the district administration.
Awasthi and additional superintendent of police Sameer Yadav interacted with the families who lost three persons in the incident and urged them to maintain peace.
Awasthi, together with additional collector Guncha Sanowar, Yadav, sub-divisional officer of police Mohon Sarwan and other officials demolished the houses of those who were involved in killing three persons.
Awasthi said that the violence erupted between two groups of the Banjara community after an engagement ceremony of a girl was broken.
Thirteen people were arrested in connection with the incident of violence, Awasthi said.
The sharp-edged weapons used in the clash were recovered, he said.
The police arrested the main accused Sarpanch Kisan Banjara and demolished his two houses. Kisan also occupied the government-owned community centre.
How bodies were cremated
All the three bodies were put on one funeral pyre and cremated. A pall of gloom descended on Pipal Ki Sawari when three bodies were brought there after the post mortem.
Those who were killed in the incident were 40-year-old Shyamlal, 35-year-old Mukesh and 35-year-old Murtak Lakhan. Their minor sons lit the funeral pyre.
(with inputs from Babu Panchal)
