Lemon dispute sparks communal unrest in Udaipur; six detained

Jaipur: A minor altercation in Rajasthan's Udaipur escalated into a communal clash, resulting in serious injuries to a vegetable vendor, police reported on Friday. The incident occurred late Thursday evening in the Dhanmandi area, leading to the detention of six individuals.

Police said a verbal spat between two men over buying lemons at a vegetable stall near Teej Ka Chowk soon led to a scuffle, and within minutes, it turned into a communal clash.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Yogesh Goyal reported that a group of five to seven individuals allegedly attacked vegetable vendor Satveer (50) with a sharp weapon, inflicting severe facial injuries. He was promptly taken to MB Hospital for treatment.

The situation worsened as two roadside huts and vegetable carts were set ablaze, prompting firefighters to intervene and extinguish the flames.

To restore order, police teams from four nearby stations, led by SP Goyal, arrived at the scene and successfully brought the situation under control. Additional forces have been stationed in sensitive areas to ensure peace.

Markets in the area remained shut on Friday.

"Six people have been detained after scanning CCTV footage that captured the assailants carrying weapons. We are investigating all aspects of the incident, and strict action will be taken," the SP said.

Local traders enforced a complete market bandh on Friday, closing shops in Dhanmandi and Teej Ka Chowk while demanding swift arrests and accountability for allegedly negligent police officials.

Later, a meeting between the traders and the administration helped ease tensions. Municipal Commissioner Ramprakash and Additional District Magistrate (ADM), City, Vaar Singh, assured protesters that action would be taken on their three key demands—arresting the accused, removing illegal vendors from the area and taking disciplinary action against errant officers.

Following this, the traders agreed to reopen their shops.

(inputs from PTI)