Tension erupted in Jahazpur town of Bhilwara following the death of a young man who was allegedly lynched by a mob over a minor dispute involving a handcart that was accidentally hit by a car in a Muslim-dominated area. Considering the sensitive situation, the administration has cancelled the Moharram procession, and a heavy police force has been deployed in the town.
According to the police, the incident occurred on Friday evening when the victim, Sitaram Keer—a resident of Tonk district—was travelling with three friends, Sikandar, Dilkhush, and Deepak, to attend a family function in Jahazpur. While exiting the main market, their car accidentally collided with Shareef's handcart, leading to a heated argument.
Soon after the incident, around 20 people gathered at the spot and began assaulting the men in the car. Sitaram, who was sitting in the rear seat, was allegedly pulled out of the vehicle and brutally beaten, despite apologizing and offering to pay for the damages.
The mob reportedly snatched the car keys and cut the wiring. Sitaram had to be rushed to the hospital on a motorbike, where he was declared brought dead, the police said.
Bhilwara SP Dharmendra Singh stated, “A murder case has been registered at Jahazpur police station. Police have detained one suspect and arrested the main accused, Shareef, son of Chand Mohammad, late Friday night.”
The case has been registered against 16 named accused and 20 unidentified others.
In protest, markets in Jahazpur remained closed on Saturday, and people—including the victim's relatives staged a sit-in outside the government hospital overnight, demanding the immediate arrest of all accused.
Local MLA Gopichand Meena joined the protest on Saturday morning and met with the agitating relatives and locals, as hundreds gathered outside the hospital where Sitaram’s body was kept.
In light of the situation, authorities have cancelled the permission for Moharram processions on both Saturday and Sunday. Police teams from ten different stations have been deployed in the town to maintain law and order.
