Howrah: Chaos erupted at the SIR hearing centre at Uluberia Block No. 1 in Howrah on Monday afternoon when a man and his estranged wife who had eloped with a youth from the village came to blows. Others, including her paramour as well as family members of both parties and subsequently other villagers, joined in a free for all. The OC of Uluberia PS said the hearing was disrupted for around 25 minutes due to the chaos following the violent brawl.
Howrah DM and district returning officer P Dipappriya said on Tuesday, "The incident was unwarranted. However, there was no major trouble as Uluberia police handled the situation and ensured the peaceful completion of the hearing process."
Uluberia OC said, "We are investigating this incident. Both parties have been called to give their statements."
According to sources, hearings for various booths of 10 panchayats of the block were scheduled at the BDO office on Monday. The hearing for people from Chandipur gram panchayat was underway when the flareup happened in the queue, triggering the clash.
Locals said a computer mechanic who worked in a firm at Salt Lake earlier before being transferred to Bengaluru within a year of his marriage had learnt that his wife had eloped with a youth from the village. After the elopement, his brother filed a missing complaint at Uluberia PS in 2024. On Monday, when the man had come from Bengaluru to attend the SIR hearing, he saw his wife and the youth in the queue. He lost his temper and lashed out at her. When the youth tried to resist, the man's brother joined in. Soon, the youth's relative who was also present, joined the fracas which quickly turned into a free for all. The line scattered and the hearing was suspended for 25 minutes due to the chaos.
According to block administration sources, none of the troublemakers participated in the hearing after the incident.