A late-night clash turned violent in Dhoomanganj in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Mohammad Nabil Ahmed of Harwara fired two rounds at a Hindu Dalit man named Rohit Sonkar around midnight on Friday, 14th August. The firing created panic in the neighbourhood, though no one was hit.
Police have arrested Nabil after Rohit filed a complaint. His associates, who were present during the incident, are being traced. A video that surfaced on Saturday, 15th August, is also being examined by police to identify those involved.
Fight started after verbal abuse
Rohit Sonkar, 30, a resident of Harwara, told police that Nabil approached him around midnight and began abusing him. Nabil was reportedly drunk at the time. When Rohit objected, the two got into a fight.
Hearing the commotion, several people reached the spot and tried to stop the two men. Nabil then called his associates, who joined the fight. Rohit and the people who tried to intervene were beaten, followed by brick-and-stone pelting.
The attackers also chased people in the area, leading to panic among residents.
Country-Made pistol used in firing
Rohit told police that Nabil pulled out a country-made pistol during the fight and fired twice. The gunshots sent people running in different directions. Rohit said he escaped without being hit.
Nabil and his associates then left the area after threatening people. The video that later surfaced shows a youth holding a firearm and firing shots. Police are using the footage as part of their investigation.
A case has been registered on Rohit’s complaint. Nabil has been arrested, while police teams are conducting raids for his associates. The police are also trying to establish the exact reason for the dispute.
Nabil has several criminal cases
Police records show that Mohammad Nabil Ahmed already faces several criminal cases. These include cases involving attempt to murder, robbery and kidnapping.
A case was also registered against him in 2018 in connection with the broad-daylight shooting of a youth, Divyansh Pal, near Pritamnagar Mor. Police records mention several other cases against him as well.
Incident puts history-sheeter monitoring under question
The incident has once again raised questions about the monitoring of listed history-sheeters. Despite facing several serious cases, Nabil was reportedly present in the area late at night with his associates and became involved in a violent clash involving assault, stone-pelting and gunfire.
Police are now checking the video, searching for the other accused and looking into the complete sequence of events.
