Women whose homes were attacked by a mob in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district on Sunday have claimed that the crowd ignored their pleas to leave them alone since they were with children. At least two of the women also alleged they were threatened with sexual assault and escaped only because the police intervened in time.
According to police, the rioting in Dutkaiyya village was triggered by incidents that took place in the early hours of Sunday, when four people were allegedly assaulted in four different locations, and two were robbed of their phones. The three accused in the incidents were identified as Arif Qureshi (18) and Salim Khan (23) from Dutkaiyya, and Imran Siddiqui (18) from Raipur.
Later that day, between 4 pm and 11.30 pm, dozens of villagers allegedly attacked six houses from the minority community. In the village, which has over 100 families, around 10 are from the minority community.
The Gariaband police have so far arrested seven people who were allegedly part of the mob. “Some are from the same village and some from another village. These seven men were involved in attacking the members of the minority community and the police. They were arrested on Tuesday and sent to judicial custody,” said Gariaband Superintendent of Police Vedvrata Sirmour.
Another police officer said that those in the mob were largely locals, and police do not suspect the involvement of any right-wing group.
One of the women, who was with her husband and seven-year-old son in one room while five women were in another room, alleged, “When we learnt that the mob was coming, we all locked our rooms. When they tried to make their way inside, I asked them not to kick the door and pleaded with them to leave because there were small children at home. They managed to break the kitchen window. I used a cupboard to block the door, but they used a gas cylinder to break that open, too. About 15 to 20 young men, armed with swords, sticks and rods, entered my room. I was terrified, and my seven-year-old son couldn’t breathe because he was panicking.”
“They assaulted my husband in front of our eyes. I put a pillow on his head to save him, but they kept raining blows with a rod. I fell to their feet and begged them to stop, but they said my turn will come next. Then it will be my son’s turn. I made calls to call the police before the men broke my phone,” she claimed. “Whoever does wrong must be punished, but why seek revenge on their families?”
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She alleged she was dragged to the hall and threatened with sexual assault, but the police arrived just in time. She alleged the mob looted a gold ornament, burnt the house, a car and two two-wheelers, and left.
Another woman, whose home was also targeted, alleged, “When the mob came, four children and eight women, including me, went to a small room and locked it. My husband was the only man at home. The mob tried to drag my minor daughter and me. When my husband intervened, he was stabbed from behind. It took the police four hours to rescue us as the mob had blocked the road to our village.”
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
