Youth's murder at Paoni triggers arson, road blockade

NAGPUR: A simmering tension between two powerful families, going back several years, erupted into a bloody war after some members of the Yadav family allegedly shot dead a youngster from the Gupta family at Deolapar, around 65km from Nagpur on Wednesday, triggering a violent reaction.
Irked by the murder of 25-year-old Dhanesh Gupta, protesters set afire two police vans and six other vehicles, a house and staged a road blockade for three hours.Due to the protest, Nagpur rural police resorted to a mild lathicharge to control the mob. The situation was tense until late Wednesday night, with unconfirmed reports claiming that a curfew had been clamped in the town near Ramtek.
Dhanesh was a building contractor and a Shiv Sena activist. His younger brother Smit was seriously injured in the attack. The incident took place around 4.30pm at Paoni, around 7km from Deolapar.
Police arrested main accused Indal Yadav along with his relatives Makhkmal Singh Yadav, Tufan Yadav, Jai Singh Yadv, Premlal Yadav, Sunil Yadav and Nilu Yadav. Cops said that the murder took place over rivalry between the two families, Yadavs and Guptas. The Guptas stay at Deolapar while the Yadavs at Chorbahuli.
Police said the powerful families had been trying to control Deolapar and had been at loggerheads for years. There had been several fights between them, resulting in police complaints and counter-complaints even over frivolous issues.
It was one such trivial issue that snowballed into Wednesday's mayhem.
Dhanesh picked up a quarrel with Indal Yadav over parking of a vehicle in the market area at Paoni in the afternoon. Dhanesh had his office at Paoni while Smit owned a mobile phone store in the same village. After the argument with Yadav, Dhanesh went to Smit's shop. While he was there, a group of people appeared on the scene and fired at him. Smit was also attacked with a sharp weapon. Dhanesh died on the spot.
Dhanesh was declared brought dead at a private hospital at Shankar Nagar Square and Smit is undergoing treatment at the same hospital.
The firing plunged the area into chaos. Enraged over Dhanesh's death, his relatives and supporters immediately set fire to a part of Yadav's residence at Chorbahuli. Protesters, which sources claimed to be in the thousands, also set afire van of Paoni DySP, a police van at Paoni and six vehicles of the Yadav family at Charbahuli.
Police could not reach the murder spot quickly as protesters had staged a road blockade at Paoni and even blocked the road at Deolapar. Though the protesters cleared the road at Paoni, the rasta roko at Deolapar and Paoni continued for hours.
Villagers said that the Gupta family members were baying for blood and the Yadavs had gone absconding.
Police teams from Bhandara, Nagpur and Parseoni were rushed in to control the situation. Till late night, police were searching for the accused and a tight bandobast was set up at Devlapar and Paoni village.
Although sources said that curfew had been imposed in Deolapar, personnel at Nagpur rural police control room denied this. Deolapar senior police inspector A Raghuwanshi didn't respond to phone calls. Nagpur (Rural) SP Aarti Singh said she could not provide further details as she was on leave.