BHOPAL — A late-night parking dispute in Bhopal’s Kalpana Nagar area turned violent on Sunday after a group of outsiders allegedly assaulted a student, Purnima Dubey, and her brother. The incident occurred near a madrasa, following which attempts were made by some groups to portray the assault as a Hindu–Muslim issue. Local Muslim residents, madrasa authorities and neighbourhood residents rejected this narrative, saying the clash was personal and related solely to parking.
According to the complaint, Purnima’s brother was parking his motorcycle near their residence when a group of men travelling in an auto-rickshaw demanded money for parking. When he refused, an argument broke out and the men allegedly assaulted him. Purnima intervened and was also attacked.
“They beat my brother, pulled my hair and snatched our gold chains. Our iPhones were damaged,” Purnima told reporters. “We came here to study, not to fight. That night, we genuinely feared for our lives.”
She said a crowd gathered after the scuffle, including several women. “We have no issue with the madrasa. We are afraid of the people who attacked us. Some women even spoke about falsely implicating my brother in a POCSO case. It has become difficult for us to step out of our house,” she said.
Soon after the incident, social media posts began circulating that linked the assault to the nearby madrasa. Madrasa authorities strongly denied any connection and said their institution was being unfairly dragged into the matter.
“The madrasa has nothing to do with this incident,” the madrasa director said. “The accused are not associated with us. Assaulting a girl is a serious crime, and those responsible must be punished.”
Local residents supported this view. “This was clearly a parking dispute involving outsiders,” a neighbour said. “Giving it a communal colour will disturb peace. Police have detained some people, and innocent individuals should not be harassed.”
Police officials said prompt action helped prevent escalation. Several accused were taken into custody and are being questioned. Officers also urged the public not to spread unverified or inflammatory information online.
Tension briefly escalated after members of the Bajrang Dal arrived at the spot and raised slogans. Bajrang Dal district minister Kamal Pipariya said strict action was needed, warning of consequences if police failed to act.
Muslim residents criticised such statements, saying they could inflame the situation. Community elders met local officials and appealed for calm. “Blaming a madrasa or Muslims for a parking dispute is unjust,” one elder said. “It appears to be an attempt to target Muslims living in this area.”
State minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang later said action had been taken against those involved. “Any misuse of the name of a madrasa for criminal activity will not be tolerated,” he said, adding that authorities would keep an eye on activities around religious places.
Muslim groups cautioned against turning the incident into a broader crackdown. “Punish the attackers, not an entire community,” a local Muslim leader said. “Muslims want safety and justice, not collective blame.”
Police said the case remains a criminal matter involving assault and theft. They appealed to residents to maintain peace and allow the investigation to proceed without rumours or communal tension.
