Chhattisgarh: Violence erupts in Kanker village over burial; several including cops injured
Kanker (PTI): Several people including more than 20 police personnel were injured in violence at Badetevda village in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Thursday following a dispute between two communities over the burial of a deceased man.
A mob vandalised a prayer hall and set fire to articles inside. An Additional Superintendent of Police was among the injured, but the situation was now under control, officials said.
Tensions had been brewing since December 16 after Rajman Salam, sarpanch of Badetevda village under Amabeda police station area, buried his father Chamra Ram Salam's body on his private land.
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While Salam follows Christianity, some villagers objected to his father's burial being performed as per Christian rites, said a senior police official.
Some villagers raised suspicion over the manner of the death, demanding exhumation of the body. They also alleged that the burial was not conducted in accordance with local customs, the official said.
Acting on the complaint, an executive magistrate ordered exhumation which was carried out on Thursday afternoon in the presence of police and district officials. An inquest and post-mortem examination will be conducted and further legal action will follow, the official said.
"The issue created a tense situation in the village. Groups confronted each other and incidents of stone-pelting occurred. Police took steps to control the situation. There was also damage to property," the official said.
More than 20 police personnel, including an ASP, sustained injuries and were sent to hospital, he said.
In a video statement released on December 17, Rajman Salam had said that his father died due to an illness at a hospital in Kanker on the evening of December 15.
His body was brought to the village the next morning, following which he informed gram panchayat members and village elders that although he had embraced Christianity, his father did not attend church, he said.
Hence, he wanted his father to be buried as per village customs, and he himself wanted to participate in the last rites, said Rajman.
But a rival who had lost to him in the sarpanch election opposed his participation, he claimed.
"As I was not allowed to participate, I called my Vishwasi (Christian) friends and performed the burial as per our (Christian) rituals," Rajman said.
Those who had lost the panchayat polls mobilised outsiders and instigated protests demanding exhumation of the body, he alleged. Police had asked for his consent for exhumation to avoid escalation of the dispute, but he had refused, he said.
According to police, there were minor clashes on Wednesday following which security was tightened and barricades were erected to prevent outsiders from entering Badetevda. However, on Thursday, some people who were carrying sticks entered the village, triggering fresh violence, said an official.
After the body was exhumed, a mob went on a rampage and vandalised a prayer hall. Police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
Police have restricted the entry of outsiders for now and deployed additional force in the area.
#WATCH | North Bastar Kanker, Chhattisgarh | Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kanker, Dinesh Sinha says, "Under the Ambedkar Police Station area, a dispute occurred between two sections of society over the burial of a body. Police were deployed in large numbers, and they… pic.twitter.com/gA5Ca8rPfi
— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2025
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
