19 arrested after clashes during Ram Navami Processions in Jharkhand; police use tear gas in Garhwa

Dhanbad/Garhwa, March 28: Nineteen people were arrested in connection with a stone-pelting incident during a Ram Navami procession in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district, while a separate clash during similar celebrations in Garhwa also led to arrests and police action, officials said on Saturday.
In Dhanbad, the incident occurred at Bhikraipur on Friday evening, where nearly half a dozen people were injured after stone pelting broke out during the procession. Police said around 50 individuals from both sides have been named in the FIR.
Ritvik Shrivastav said, “We have arrested 19 accused out of the nearly 50 persons named in the FIR from both sides involved in the stone pelting incident during the religious procession on Friday evening.”
The arrested individuals were later remanded to judicial custody after being taken to the crime spot as part of the investigation.
Ashutosh Kumar Satyam said, “They were paraded at the spot where the incident had taken place before being remanded to judicial custody.”
Police described the incident as minor, involving teenagers from two communities, and said timely intervention helped prevent escalation.
Prabhat Kumar said, “It was a minor incident of stone pelting between teenagers of two communities during the Ramnavami procession. However, police intervened in time, and the situation was brought under control soon. Everything is normal in the area at the moment.”
Authorities have deployed adequate security forces in the area, and the situation is currently peaceful, officials said.
In a separate incident in Garhwa district’s Ramkanda block, tensions escalated during a Ram Navami procession following clashes between two groups near a tri-junction at Kauakhokh. Police used tear gas and mild force to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Aman Kumar said prior attempts were made to defuse tensions, but failed. “Both sides were called for talks but no consensus could be reached,” he said.
Describing the police response, he added, “When the situation appeared to be turning volatile, we used tear gas and mild force to disperse the crowd.”
Officials said 19 people were arrested in connection with the Garhwa incident as well, and security has been tightened to prevent further unrest during the festive period