Four men were arrested and over 120 persons booked for allegedly attacking police personnel who tried to intervene during a clash at Kelvikuva village in Netrang area of Bharuch on Wednesday. Advertising According to police, villagers belonging to two different castes had clashed over a piece of land, and when the police reached the spot and tried to disperse the mob, the villagers attacked them, leaving three policemen injured. “The land legally belongs to a trust owned by Patel community in the village. However, the Vasava community claimed that the land had been handed over to them years ago by the leaders of the Patel community. On Tuesday, people belonging to Patel and Vasava communities clashed. When the police intervened, members of the Vasava community attacked the police. We have started search operations, but the villagers have fled. We have also called for additional force and have launched a manhunt to arrest all the accused,” said Investigating Officer P V Vasava. In the FIR lodged by the police, 21 persons have been named. Another 125 unnamed people have also been booked under various sections of the IPC, including section 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) among others. All the four arrested till now belong to the Vasava community — Montu Vasava (32), Manga Rathod (42), Satish Vasava (35), Mukesh Vasava (35). According to police, the mob first attacked and beat up two constables who were on duty. “The villagers shouted ‘kill the policemen’ and abused them,” the police in their complaint stated. One of the accused, identified as Ashok Rathod, allegedly attacked a sub-inspector with a knife and inflicted a deep wound on his ear, said police. Advertising Sub-Inspector K D Jaat was taken to a hospital. He was later discharged. Ashok is still on the run.

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