Two people were arrested after a clash broke out over remarks targeting a wedding procession of a Dalit family in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district, police said on Saturday.
The incident took place in Lai Kheda village under Tilhar police station area, where a wedding procession from Bareilly arrived at a Dalit house on April 20.
According to SP Saurabh Dixit, when the procession was near Rajpal Yadav’s house, he allegedly made a remark saying “Now, Dalits will also take out wedding processions riding buggies”, which led to an argument. Yadav’s side allegedly turned aggressive, escalating the conflict further.
Police said that a quarrel broke out between the two sides. Upon receiving the information, police officers arrived at the scene and ensured that the convoy proceeded safely after the accident.
An FIR was registered on Friday against Rajpal Yadav, Sumit, Amit, Surendra, Avdesh Yadav and five unidentified persons based on a complaint. Dixit said Rajpal Yadav and his son Sumit have been detained and are being interrogated.
The case has been registered under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, 2023 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.
Dixit said preliminary findings suggested that Yadav too was hosting a function and that processions from both sides arrived around the same time. The dispute may have arisen initially due to the narrow passage and attempts to move the processions quickly.
The police have registered the case under relevant sections of BNS and initiated further investigation, officials said.
