Mauganj/Rewa, March 5 (NationPress) The newly established Mauganj district in Madhya Pradesh experienced yet another violent Holi celebration as an ongoing feud between two families regarding romantic relationships erupted into chaos, leading to one fatality and numerous injuries.

The altercation took place in the Dhawa Gautaman locality under the jurisdiction of the Hanumana police station around 3 p.m. while the Holi festivities were in full swing, with villagers joyfully exchanging colors and greetings.

The conflict ignited when a group from the Saket family, who were reportedly intoxicated, verbally assaulted and attacked a young man named Puran Lal Patel, accused of being involved in a romantic affair with a girl from their community.

Upon hearing the disturbance, Puran's family members rushed to his aid, resulting in a violent clash where both sides wielded sticks and hurled stones at each other. The chaos continued until nearby villagers intervened and alerted the Hanumana police.

During the melee, Puran's father, Raghuveer Patel, and his brother, Sandeep Patel, sustained severe injuries and were transported to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital. Unfortunately, Raghuveer succumbed to his injuries en route.

Approximately a dozen individuals, including women, were injured and are currently receiving treatment at the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Rewa.

Local resident Sagar Kumar informed IANS that “five to six people from the Patel family were injured, and at least three to four people from the Saket family were also hurt.”

The situation drew significant attention on Thursday following the post-mortem of Raghuveer Patel's body, which was subsequently taken back to the village for his final rites.

A large gathering of Patel community members, including relatives of the deceased, assembled at the police station, demanding stringent action against those responsible for the violence.

Mauganj State Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP), Sachi Pathak, disclosed to IANS that the situation has been brought under control after discussions with representatives from both families, although a substantial police presence has been established to prevent any further disturbances.

This incident is believed to be rooted in a dispute nearly two years old. Puran Lal Patel had previously been acquitted in a related case, leading to the Saket family's retaliatory action during the Holi festivities.

It marks the second consecutive year that the Gadara-Dhaba area of Mauganj has seen bloodshed due to ongoing feuds between different castes.

Last year’s Holi also witnessed a tragic conflict in the Gadara area, where a youth from the Brahmin caste was killed by individuals from the Kol (tribal) community. The police faced severe challenges in controlling the violence, which included the kidnapping of a senior police officer and the murder of a Sub-Inspector.

Ironically, this violence occurred despite the Mauganj district police announcing a day prior to Holi that, learning from past incidents, they have deployed 27 police teams to patrol sensitive areas.

Interestingly, the local MLA for the Mauganj Assembly constituency, Pradeep Patel, recently made headlines due to reports of him being missing and allegedly facing a 'life threat.'

Mauganj, along with two other tehsils—Deotalab and Naigarhi—was carved out from the Rewa district ahead of the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

The newly created Mauganj district shares its border with Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.