Chandrabani Choila, a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Dehradun in Uttarakhand, has been in the middle of a long-standing controversy over the issue of land ownership, which turned deadly this Tuesday morning. The incident evolved tragically when an altercation between two factions suddenly flared up and a former serviceman died.
Deceased Bir Bahadur had been having litigation over one plot for quite some time. The dispute flared up in the recent past when Anshul Chaudhary tried to forcibly occupy the disputed plot with the help of a posse of 15-20 persons armed with weapons.
According to various eyewitnesses and local reports of dehradun, the clash started in the early morning when Chaudhary and his accomplices reached the plot. They had come with an apparent aim to lay their claim on the disputed land by raising a temporary platform there. Kartik, son of Bir Bahadur, who became a hapless witness to the tragic killing of his father, told about the entire episode.
“Anshul and his goons came with a tin shed and started encroaching on our land. My father, weak because of age and ailment, tried to stop them from entering. He begged them to leave but they didn’t,” Kartik explained, his voice soaking in tears.
DEHRADUN CRIME; According to Kartik….
According to Kartik, things had escalated very fast as verbal arguments turned physical. “My father was trying to reason with them, but in the chaos, he was pushed by one of the men and fell heavily. He hit his head on the ground, and despite our efforts to rush him to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries,” Kartik said tearfully.
The local community of Dehradun has been shocked by the incident, as Bir Bahadur is highly regarded for the service he rendered to the nation as an ex-serviceman. “He served the country so well, and now he has lost his life in such a senseless manner over a piece of land,” rued one of Bir Bahadur’s neighbors who wished not to be named.
Acting promptly on distress calls from residents, the Patel Nagar Police Station Dehradun rushed to the spot and dispersed the assailants. By that time, Chaudhary and his accomplices had fled the scene. “We have launched a manhunt to apprehend the suspects involved in the violence,” said Kamal Kumar Luthi, Inspector-in-Charge, Patel Nagar Police Station.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Anshul Chaudhary had engaged in a civil suit earlier, claiming the plot in dispute as his own. The case had been going on for many years and had generated a lot of bad blood between the parties.
His tragic death caused widespread outrage among various quarters, from the local residents to veterans’ associations. The Gaurav Senani Association, representing ex-servicemen in the region, condemned the violence and demanded justice for their fallen comrade. “Bir Bahadur was a decorated veteran who deserved better than to meet his end in such a manner. We urge the authorities to ensure that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice,” asserted Vikram Singh Kandari, founder of the association.
Meanwhile, Chandrabani Choila remains on tenterhooks after the incident, with residents expressing fear and concern over possible reprisals. “We are afraid that this violence could further deteriorate if immediate steps are not taken to restore peace and security in our neighborhood,” remarked a local shopkeeper, requesting anonymity.
The district administration has assured locals of dehradun adequate security arrangements to avert any untoward incident. The community eagerly awaits Bir Bahadur’s justice as investigations go on, hoping that just that very land dispute which claimed his life comes to an end once and for all. This tragic incident is a pointer to the severe consequences of unresolved conflicts and the overriding need for peaceful resolution mechanisms in such contentious disputes.
His family has started mourning the loss of Bir Bahadur, who, in an instant and needlessly, became the victim of a mindless killing. “He was a loving father and grandfather to us all who always kept his family first. We can’t fathom why it had to happen,” Kartik said, still struggling to comprehend the tragedy that has changed their lives forever.
