The evening a 12-year-old dispute spilled blood: Behind death of Rajasthan ex-MLA Atar Singh Bhadana

On Sunday evening, a dispute between former BJP MLA Atar Singh Bhadana and villagers in Bhonda village, located around 50 km from Jaipur, escalated into violence resulting in Bhadana's death. Five individuals were arrested, with police searching for additional suspects. The women allege that the incident was a retaliation for their 12-year protest against Bhadana's stone-crusher unit and the blocking of their path to grazing lands.

According to Bhadana's wife, Kamlesh, who was present during the attack, a mob of 70-80 people armed with sticks, axes, iron rods, and firearms attacked her husband and his aide, Gagan Sharma. Kamlesh stated that Bhadana was hit in multiple areas before he fell unconscious, despite attempts to treat his injuries. The attackers also set fire to the shelter where they were staying and damaged the crusher machinery.

The Weir Police Station confirmed that they arrived at the scene one-and-a-half hours later due to poor visibility, road conditions, and remoteness. The state government has suspended three officials from the Weir Police Station in connection with the incident. Stone mining has been ongoing in the area since 1997, and Bhadana acquired partnership in one of the units in 2012, four years after his tenure as MLA ended.

The dispute between Bhadana and the villagers has been ongoing for years, with multiple FIRs registered against each other.