A festive Holi celebration in Lorika village under Singhwada police station in Darbhanga, Bihar, spiraled into chaos on Wednesday. What began as a simple dispute over applying colors escalated into caste tensions, stone-pelting, and vandalism targeting police vehicles. One female constable was injured in the melee, alongside over a dozen others from the village.
The incident unfolded in Ward-09 of Bharulli Panchayat when Amarjeet Sahni invited Anil Chaupal to his home for Holi festivities. Tensions flared as casteist slurs were allegedly hurled, leading to a physical altercation involving an empty mustard oil tin. The verbal spat quickly drew in members from Sahni Tola and Chaupal Tola, communities living just 150 meters apart.
As news of the brawl spread, locals from Chaupal community dialed 112 for help. Responding officers faced a barrage of stones upon arrival, damaging the emergency response vehicle and injuring the female officer. Reinforcements from Singhwada, Simri, Kamtaul, and Jale police stations rushed to the scene, setting up camp to restore order.
Police have arrested eight suspects so far, with raids ongoing to nab the fugitives who reportedly locked their homes and fled. Kamtaul SDPO Shubhendra Kumar Suman and BDO Vikram Bhaskar inspected the site. ‘The situation is tense but under control. Strict action will follow thorough investigation,’ Suman assured.
Over 12 people, including several from the Chaupal side, sustained injuries. Authorities have urged villagers to maintain peace, with heavy police deployment ensuring no further escalation. This ugly turn during Holi celebrations underscores the fragility of communal harmony in rural Bihar.