Violence-hit families stay at police station, refuse to return home

Want the accused to be arrested first; administration has made arrangements for food, water, coolers

Five days after communal violence broke out at Atali village in Ballabgarh, scared Muslim families are yet to return home.

These families continue to live in the Ballabgarh police station where the administration has made arrangements for food, water and coolers for them.

A peace committee held a couple of meetings over the past few days, said officials. Some houses and a few vehicles belonging to the Muslim community were torched by Hindus in Atali village under the Chhansia police station in Faridabad late on Monday night over a land dispute.

Muslims constructing a religious place at the land was said to be behind the clashes. Additional deputy commissioner Aditya Dahiya said the administration had made arrangements for the families to stay at two government schools, one in Sector 62 and the other in Atali village but they refused to go there and preferred to stay in the police station.

Sources said some members of the Hindu community will visit these families on Saturday and convince them to return to their homes. Officials said the displaced families want the accused to be arrested first.

The government has also provided medical facility with doctors attending to the families.

The district administration has already imposed section 144 in and around Atali village as a precautionary measure. The administration prohibited carrying of weapons in the area. A contingent of the Rapid Action Force had also been deployed.

The incident occurred late on Monday when some people belonging to the Hindu community allegedly attacked some Muslim families in the village.

The police registered an FIR against 20 people and other unnamed persons. A hunt has been launched. The bone of contention of the communal clash is a piece of land with minority community members claiming it belonged to the waqf and the majority community claiming it belonged to the panchyat.

THE BONE OF CONTENTION IS A PIECE OF LAND. THE MINORITY COMMUNITY CLAIMS IT BELONGS TO THE WAQF AND THE MAJORITY COMMUNITY CLAIMS IT BELONGS TO THE PANCHYAT.

A POLICE OFFICIAL