Security forces, barricades replace Ramzan bustle in Delhi's Uttam Nagar after Holi clash death

New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) Four days after a Holi clash left a 26-year-old man dead in southwest Delhi's Uttam Nagar, shops in the area remain shuttered, markets deserted, while residents struggle to go about their routines, just days before Eid.

The usual bustle of the Ramzan month in the densely populated neighbourhood has now been replaced with a heavy police and paramilitary deployment, barricading and restrictions on movement keeping customers away.

Residents said the atmosphere in the area resembles a lockdown-like situation, with people hesitant to step out and business activity coming to a near standstill.

"Everything in the entire area is shut, shops and markets are closed. It is almost like a lockdown," Khalid Ali, a resident of the area and a member of the Muslim Samaj Committee, said.

"This is a very large area, yet all the shops are closed. People are unable to move around and are troubled, confined to their homes. In the last 50 years of living here, I have never seen so much police presence," he added.

On March 4, a 26-year-old man, identified as Tarun, was killed following a clash that broke out between his family and their neighbours in the JJ Colony area.

According to police, the violence started after a girl from Tarun's family threw a balloon, splashing a woman from the neighbour's family during Holi celebrations.

Police said the two families had known each other for nearly five decades and had previous disagreements over issues such as parking and garbage disposal.

Speaking about the clash, Ali said that barring the recent incident, the area has historically witnessed peaceful coexistence among communities.

"In the last five decades, people here have lived in harmony. Those who are trying to give it a communal colour, that is not the case here. On any festival, our communal harmony has never been disturbed," he said.

Visuals from the locality after the clash showed long stretches of markets wearing a desolate look. Temporary stalls and roadside vendors have also covered their goods with tarpaulin sheets, while narrow lanes that normally remain crowded on Ramzan evenings appeared eerily quiet.

Shopkeepers said the timing of the disruption has worsened their losses as Eid is usually one of the busiest periods of the year.

"My shop has been closed for three days. People from outside are not coming to buy goods anymore. No one is coming because of fear," a shopkeeper in the area said.

"It's the month of Eid; usually business is very good during this time, and work is fast. But now everything is ruined," he added.

Residents said the presence of police personnel in large numbers and the tense atmosphere have discouraged visitors from nearby areas, affecting not only shop owners but also daily wage earners and small vendors who depend on the evening rush.

Police said seven people have been arrested and a juvenile has been apprehended so far in connection with the case. Provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and murder charges have been added to the FIR.

The incident triggered tension in the area earlier, with an angry mob damaging vehicles and setting some on fire, prompting authorities to increase security deployment.

Abad Ali, a 27-year-old law student living in the locality, said there was an atmosphere of uncertainty in the neighbourhood.

"I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime. Even my father has never seen this," he said.

He alleged that outsiders were contributing to the tension.

"Outsiders are coming here and spoiling the environment. For a long time, people here have lived together with love, harmony and brotherhood. Hindus and Muslims have always interacted well, and everything was going smoothly," he said.

Ali further said Tarun was like his brother and was of his age.

"What happened was very wrong and very condemnable. No one supports it. Whoever did it should be punished, and strict action should be taken against them," Ali added.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Sunday carried out a demolition drive and razed "illegal portions" of a house linked to one of the accused in the case. PTI MSJ BM PRK