Cops Among 5 Injured In Stone-Pelting In Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur; 500+ Personnel Deployed, Section 163 Imposed

Tensions flared in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur after an altercation between two men over an old dispute escalated into stone-pelting between two groups, leaving five people, including two police personnel, injured and prompting authorities to impose prohibitory orders in the area.

The incident took place in Khaparganj under the City Kotwali police station limits on Friday night. According to preliminary information, the clash began after an altercation between two men. During the argument, one of them allegedly hit the other with a stone over an old dispute, Bilaspur Senior Superintendent of Police Rajnesh Singh said.

The injured man then called his associates, following which stone-pelting broke out in Khaparganj, he said. "When police reached the spot, both sides had started pelting stones at each other," Singh said, adding that police brought the situation under control.

STORY | Stone-pelting clash leaves 5 injured in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur, prohibitory orders imposedFive persons, including two police personnel, were injured after two groups clashed with each other in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur city, prompting the authorities to impose… pic.twitter.com/Ex4gRVaoLo Three people from the two groups and two police personnel sustained injuries.

Singh said strict action would be taken against those found guilty. Senior district administration and police officials rushed to the spot, while police used mild force to disperse the mob. Following the clash, the district administration invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the City Kotwali police station area.

The order prohibits unlawful assembly and other activities that could disturb public order. It said the dispute between two groups in Khaparganj had turned violent and a large number of people had gathered in the area, posing a threat to law and order and public tranquillity.

The prohibitory order was issued to maintain law and order, ensure public safety and prevent any possibility of rioting and other criminal activities. Around 300 police personnel have been deployed in the area, while another 200-250 personnel have been called in as a precautionary measure, officials said.

Regular patrolling is being carried out and the situation is currently under control. Bilaspur Collector Sanjay Agrawal said authorities had also learnt that the dispute could have been triggered by a social media post. However, he said officials had neither seen the post nor ascertained its contents.

The clash began after an altercation between two men over an old dispute. One man allegedly hit the other with a stone, which escalated into stone-pelting between two groups.