Jaunpur (Uttar Pradesh): Bhadethi village in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur district wears a deserted look after the violence which ensued between two communities on June 9.
Twelve hutments were torched in the village on Tuesday night after a clash between members of two communities, which resulted in the loss of some animals.
Senior police and administration officials have visited the area and an FIR has been lodged.
The police named 57 people in the FIR, out of which 40 have been arrested, including a local Samajwadi Party leader.
However, as the police carries on its investigations and tries to nab the remaining 17 accused, there is an atmosphere of fear prevailing in the village.
The village wears a deserted look with hardly anyone on the streets. To add to the eerie silence, many doors in the village are now locked, as many people have left the village.
A villager said that almost half the homes have now been vacated as its inhabitants have left the village. He alleged that many innocent people were being wrongly targeted, following which they left the village out of fear.
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Echoing similar views, another villager said that many feared harassment at the hands of the police, and had hence decided to leave.
Meanwhile, the few people who decided to stay back, have locked themselves inside their homes out of fear.
Police said initially an argument had ensued between the two communities over plucking of mangoes by children and later they harassed each other over livestock.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reportedly taken a strong view of the incident and directed officials to take strict action against the culprits.
(With inputs from agencies)
