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Churches set ablaze as burial dispute sparks violence in Chhattisgarh village

RAIPUR: Two churches were torched, a grave was dug up and clashes left several people injured as tensions over a disputed burial spiralled into violence in Amabeda village of Chhattisgarhs Kanker district, about 150 km south of Raipur, on Thursday. Tension erupted in Bade Tewda gram panchayat after the family of sarpanch Rajman Salam, whom some locals claim had converted to Christianity, buried the body of his father, Chamraran Salam, 70, on private land. Chamraram had been ill and died during treatment on December 15. The burial sparked protests, with villagers alleging it was conducted secretly and not in accordance with tribal customs, police said. Based on the villagers' complaint, the Executive Magistrate issued an order for exhumation of the body on Thursday. The probe on the incident and post-mortem of the exhumed body will be carried out, and the legal actions will be taken. Properties were also damaged during the scuffle incident, Kanker police said. The situation, which had remained tense since Wednesday, escalated into clashes between villagers, including stone-pelting. Around 20 police personnel, including additional superintendent of police (Antagarh) Ahish Banchhor, and several villagers were injured. Police resorted to a lathi charge to bring the situation under control. The district administration and police intervened and held a meeting between the two opposing groups on Thursday, after which the body was exhumed and taken out of Amabeda, as many locals opposed allowing a burial site for the deceased. The sarpanch is stated to have been converted to Christian belief, but his father, Chamraram, remained a follower of Hindu religion. The sarpanch reportedly performed the last rite in accordance with the belief and customs of Christianity, leading to strong protest by the villagers, said Anjor Singh Paikra, additional collector, Antagarh, in Kanker district. District officials have been camping in Bade Tewda for the past two days to ensure the situation does not escalate further. At least two churches were set ablaze and a few houses belonging to Christian minority members were attacked. There was a riot-like situation in the village. The sarpanch has not embraced Christianity. He buried the body of his father as per the rituals of the tribal community in his own land, said Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum. The confrontation resulted owing to misleading information propagated among villagers that the body of a converted Christian had been covertly buried, Pannalal added. The injured police personnel and villagers were admitted to hospital.

19 Dec 2025 11:38 am