The family of the pradhan, Mohammad Irshad, however, alleged the Hindus came armed and attacked them.
They had been living harmoniously for decades until work on a sewer line ruptured ties between Hindus and Muslims at Chausana village in UP’s Shamli district late Wednesday night.
The two communities clashed over displacement of a Hindu place of worship for the purpose of laying down a sewer pipeline, which was proposed by the Muslim pradhan of the village. While the Hindus were against it, the Muslims went ahead with the construction work leading to tension. A riot broke out in which more than 20 people were injured. Many suffered serious head injuries and were referred to hospitals in Delhi, Meerut and Chandigarh.