Communal tension erupted in Fatehgarh town of Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan following a dispute over an encroached land near the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) office in the morning of September 23. A teenager was killed and 10 others were seriously injured when people of two communities clashed using iron rods, knives and sticks. Over a dozen shops and four vehicles, including a diesel tanker, were brunt and the offices of the SDM and tehsildar were ransacked. As the tension escalated, plying of vehicles on National Highway 15 came to a halt. District collector R N Meena said meetings of people from both the communities were being conducted to resolve the matter. “The SDM has been asked to stop the allotment process and acquire the land immediately,” said Meena.
According to reports, people from two communities had encroached upon a piece of government land measuring four bighas. “The district administration was to initiate the allotment process, but some people had already encroached upon the land. A dispute over the encroachment was going on between the two sides,” said a police officer. Reports said people used lathis, iron pipes and sharp-edged weapons in the clash. “An 18-year old boy, identified as Haneef, was run over by a jeep in the clash. The people set fire to over a dozen shops in the locality. A tanker carrying diesel was also torched, but the fire brigade managed to douse the flames before it could cause a major damage,” said a senior police officer.