A Ram Baraat procession in Ekauna village, Deoria, turned violent on Thursday night after a long-standing dispute flared up, resulting in an attack on performers portraying Lord Ram, Lakshman, and other characters from the Ramleela. The incident has sparked widespread outrage among villagers, prompting a protest against local police.
The violence unfolded during the ongoing Ramleela celebrations, which began on September 22. On October 7, a village fair was held, where tensions escalated after a group of youths allegedly stood in line with women, prompting objections from the Ramleela committee. Although a complaint was filed at the local police station, no immediate action was taken.
Two days later, during Thursday’s Ram Baraat procession, a group of angry youths, reportedly nursing a grudge from the earlier confrontation, attacked members of the Ramleela committee. Among the victims were Adarsh Pandey, who was portraying Lord Ram; Shivmangal Pandey as Lakshman; committee president Atul Pandey; and four others. The attackers assaulted them, leaving the performers with head injuries and their costumes torn. Shocking videos of the incident, showing the injured performers, quickly went viral on social media.
The violence and the lack of police presence during the event led to public outrage. Local residents staged a protest, demanding accountability for the failure of law enforcement. Circle Officer (CO) Hariram Yadav arrived at the scene with additional police forces, but efforts to calm the crowd were unsuccessful.
Later in the evening, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Suman and Additional SP Anand Kumar Pandey arrived at the village. Their intervention helped ease tensions, and they assured the protesters that strict action would be taken.
In the aftermath, SP Suman ordered the suspension of Station House Officer (SHO) Umesh Vajpayee and Sub-Inspector Shivbachan for their negligence. The SP acknowledged that despite prior complaints and the high sensitivity of the event, no police deployment was made, allowing the situation to spiral out of control.
As the news of the violence spread, the village was heavily guarded by a strong police presence to prevent further unrest. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Harishankar Lal also visited the site to assess the situation and ensure peace.
The police have taken four individuals into custody for questioning, and an investigation is ongoing.
SP Sanjeev Suman said, “Some youths created a disturbance during the Ram Baraat procession. The situation has been brought under control, and action has been taken against officers found negligent in their duties.”