UP’s Deoria Witnesses Ram Baraat Attack, Sparks Protests

UP , Oct 10 : Ekauna village in Deoria witnessed violence on Thursday night during the Ram Baraat procession, part of the ongoing Ramleela celebrations, after a long standing dispute escalated. Performers portraying Lord Ram, Lakshman, and other characters were attacked, leaving several injured and triggering widespread outrage among villagers.

The tension began on October 7 during a village fair, when a confrontation arose between a group of youths and the Ramleela committee. Although a complaint was filed at the local police station, no preventive measures were taken. Two days later, the anger resurfaced during the Ram Baraat procession, leading to a direct assault on committee members, including Adarsh Pandey (Lord Ram), Shivmangal Pandey (Lakshman), and committee president Atul Pandey. Victims sustained head injuries, and their costumes were torn, with videos of the attack quickly going viral on social media.

Residents staged protests against the police for failing to maintain law and order. Circle Officer Hariram Yadav and additional forces arrived but were unable to calm the crowd. Later, Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Suman and Additional SP Anand Kumar Pandey intervened to restore peace, assuring villagers that strict action would be taken.

Following the incident, SHO Umesh Vajpayee and Sub-Inspector Shivbachan were suspended for negligence, and four individuals have been taken into custody for questioning. The police have reinforced security in the village to prevent further unrest, with SDM Harishankar Lal supervising peace efforts.

SP Suman stated, “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.”