On Friday night, 28th August, communal tension broke out in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, after a social media post by Sohail Khan contained objectionable remarks about sacred cows, sparking anger among Hindu organisations. The controversy soon escalated, with members from both sides gathering at the City Kotwali police station. The Muslim mob launched attacks, leading to clashes and 50 people injured.
The trouble had started earlier near Sadar Bazaar’s Corona Chowk. According to the information available, Sohail Khan and his aides stopped four Hindu youths while they were passing through the area. A heated argument followed, during which Hindu youth Akshat Singh and one of his companions were beaten. The matter was linked to an old rivalry, and the dispute soon spread to Khaparganj, where the other group also confronted Sohail and his aides.
Crowd gathers at city kotwali
Both sides later reached the City Kotwali police station to submit their complaints. Members of Hindu organisations also gathered there, demanding action and the arrest of those responsible for the assault and the social media post. Beltara MLA Sushant Shukla was also present at the police station.
As the police tried to speak to one side, people gathered outside became angry. Soon, both groups came face to face and heavy stone-pelting started. Stones were thrown from both sides, while burning firecrackers were also hurled at people.
The violence spread around the police station. The crowd entered the City Kotwali premises and created a ruckus, shouting slogans and demanding action against those involved in the stone-pelting. Several vehicles were damaged, while nearby shops and houses were also vandalised.
Police use lathis and tear gas
Police teams tried to control the crowd but initially struggled to stop the violence. A lathi charge was carried out, followed by the use of tear gas shells. Some shells reportedly failed to fire, following which Sarkanda TI Pradeep Arya threw them by hand. Around five to six shells were used one after another, but the crowd did not immediately disperse.
CSP Gagan Kumar, who reached the spot in civilian clothes, was also pushed and shoved by people in the crowd. Tarbahar TI Ravi Tiwari suffered a head injury during the stone-pelting and scuffle. Several other police personnel, including constables, were also injured.
Collector and SSP reach spot
As the situation became more serious, Collector Sanjay Agarwal and SSP Rajneesh Singh reached the area wearing helmets. The SSP personally took charge of the operation and worked with the police teams to bring the situation under control.
Eyewitnesses said police officers had been informed when the first clash started and a crowd began gathering. A patrol team was sent to the area, but the situation worsened in front of the police, eventually turning into large-scale stone-pelting.
Additional police forces were then called from across the district. Personnel from Janjgir-Champa, Mungeli and the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) were also brought in. Police line staff, station in-charges, inspectors and other officers were deployed to prevent further clashes.
Heavy police deployment in sensitive areas
The crowd remained around City Kotwali late into the night and continued to create a ruckus for several hours. People were present in and around the police station until around 4 am, while the main crowd remained at the spot until about 2:30 am.
Following the violence, heavy police deployment was made in Masanganj, Khaparganj and other sensitive parts of the city. Barricades were placed around City Kotwali Chowk and police continued patrolling the area until around 5 am, asking people to maintain peace.
Police have recorded videos of the incident and are checking CCTV footage to identify those involved in stone-pelting and vandalism. Some people have been detained and are being questioned.
Collector Sanjay Agarwal and SSP Rajneesh Singh said the situation arose from a dispute between two groups and that stones were thrown from both sides. They said more than 400 police personnel are now deployed and reinforcements have been brought in from neighbouring districts. The officers said the situation is under control and strict action will be taken against anyone found responsible.
