Violent Encounter at Ganesh Immersion Leads to Dual FIRs in Uttar Pradesh

SANTAKBIRNAGAR, September 20 — On the night of September 18, a skirmish broke out at the Amardobha crossroads in Bakhira thana, Uttar Pradesh, during the Ganesh idol immersion procession. The clash resulted in two First Information Reports (FIRs) – one filed by SP MP Laxmikant "Pappu" Nishad and another by local resident Vishal Kumar – each accusing the other side of assault and vandalism.

Nishad’s statement indicates that at approximately 10:30 p.m., while returning to his residence in Belhar Kala with security personnel, his convoy was being cleared from a congested crowd by police assistance. He alleges that members of the procession threw bricks, stones and wooden sticks at his cars, causing damage to the windshield of his vehicle. Nishad has asked police to examine video footage from the incident to identify those responsible and to prosecute them under the law.

In a counter‑complaint lodged on September 20, Vishal Kumar, a resident of Santoshpur, claims that a DJ’s generator failure halted the procession’s music, leading to an argument between the DJ and participants. He says that during the ensuing confusion, the MP’s convoy, sounding its horns, forced its way through the procession. Kumar alleges that he was knocked down by the MP’s vehicle, suffered a back injury, and was subsequently verbally abused and physically assaulted by the MP’s supporters. He also reports that stones were thrown at the MP’s car, breaking its windshield.

Kumar’s FIR invokes the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act along with other criminal provisions. The police have formally recorded both FIRs and are now conducting a thorough investigation that includes reviewing surveillance footage, interviewing eyewitnesses, and gathering additional evidence to reconstruct the exact sequence of events. Community members have expressed alarm over the incident, and officials have promised appropriate legal measures once the investigation concludes.