Patna: A murder following a clash at a village fair triggered retaliatory violence in Muzaffarpur on Sunday, with an angry mob allegedly setting fire to more than half a dozen houses belonging to the accused. The arson took place after the body of Navneet Kumar, who was allegedly beaten and stabbed following a dispute on Saturday evening, reached his village on Sunday morning.Navneet, a resident of Mohammadpur Khaje village, had gone to a fair with his nephew, Subhash, on Saturday evening when an argument reportedly broke out with another youth. The dispute escalated into a clash, during which Navneet was allegedly assaulted and stabbed. He later died during treatment.Police took custody of the body and sent it for post-mortem. Tensions flared on Sunday morning when the body reached the village. The situation worsened because the deceased and the accused belonged to different castes, said local people.An angry crowd subsequently reached Partapur village and targeted the houses of those accused in the murder. More than six houses were set ablaze, triggering panic in the area. There were also reports of several rounds of firing in the air, though these could not be independently confirmed.Naresh Ram, whose house was among those targeted, alleged that Gajendra Ram was involved in selling liquor and the dispute had been with his son, Raja. He said the accused had left their homes during the night. He added that police had visited the village but claimed he was unaware of the details of the incident.Following the violence, SP (Rural) Rajesh Singh Prabhakar, City SP Mohibullah Ansari, Saraiya SDPO Abhijit Kaur, fire brigade personnel and police teams from several nearby stations rushed to the spot. Additional police forces were also deployed from the district.Firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control, while administrative officials attempted to disperse the crowd and restore order.Muzaffarpur SSP Kantesh Kumar Mishra said police were taking prompt action in the murder case and warned that anyone taking the law into their own hands would face action.Police personnel remained deployed in the village amid tension, while the administration monitored the situation to prevent further violence.
