Kawardha: A man died and another is missing after a house was set on fire in Chhattisgarh’s Kawardha, the police said on Sunday. The incident took place at Lohardih village of Kawardha after the murder of a local man. More than 80 men and women have been arrested in connection with the incident, they said.
Villagers, accusing former Sarpanch Raghunath Sahu of being involved in the murder, set his house on fire. One person died in the arson, and another is missing. Amid the chaos, a clash erupted between villagers and the police, resulting in stone pelting that left Kawardha SP Abhishek Pallav and dozens of policemen injured.
The body found in the aftermath of the arson is suspected to be that of Sahu, but this has not been confirmed yet. Following the violence, villagers blocked the police from entering the village. Dozens of policemen, including SP Pallav, were injured in the stone pelting and later taken to a hospital for treatment.
Additional police and battalion personnel were called, and only after the villagers fled, the police entered and regained control of the area. The former Sarpanch’s house was destroyed in the fire. Several members of his family were injured and were taken to a hospital.
The violence began after the body of Shivprasad Sahu was found hanging from a tree about 10 kilometres away. Upon hearing the news, villagers accused Raghunath Sahu of the murder, attacked his family, and set his house ablaze. A gas cylinder explosion inside the house worsened the fire. Senior police personnel, including IG Deepak Jha, are at the spot monitoring the area. Investigations are underway, the police said.
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