The town of Chomu in Jaipur district remained under a tense calm on Saturday, a day after police teams were met with violent stone pelting during an operation to remove encroachments near a local mosque.
Police Action and Subsequent Violence
According to officials, the incident occurred in the early morning hours of Friday when a police team arrived to clear encroachments blocking a road outside the mosque. The situation quickly escalated as a crowd resorted to violence, pelting stones at the police personnel. Eleven police personnel sustained injuries in the attack.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Hanuman Prasad Meena provided details on the law enforcement response. "We have arrested 19 suspects and registered an FIR at Chomu police station in connection with Friday's attack on police," he stated. He added that over 100 individuals were initially detained following the incident, with most being released later.
Preventive Measures and Ongoing Investigations
In a bid to prevent the spread of rumours and mobilisation through social media platforms, authorities have suspended mobile internet services in the area as a precautionary measure since Friday. Officials confirmed that this restriction would continue until normalcy is fully restored in the town.
Efforts to identify more individuals involved in the violence are actively underway. Officials familiar with the case revealed that it is still unclear whether the sudden attack on the police team was a spontaneous reaction or a pre-planned act. "We are investigating whether rumour-mongering by some people may have led to the violence," an official said.
Efforts to Restore Peace
To maintain law and order, significant police force has been deployed across Chomu town. Personnel from several police stations are working in coordination with the Special Task Force (STF), Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC), and reserve units from Jaipur.
Parallel efforts are focused on community engagement. Peace committee members and local representatives are being involved to appeal for calm and dialogue. Residents have been urged by authorities to exercise caution and refrain from trusting or spreading any unverified information that could further inflame the situation.
