Cops lathi-charge to disperse frenzied crowd at Jhansi event

Thousands had gathered at the Thursday night event for which the organisers had hired a belly dancer defying police advice.

Chaos erupted at Jhansi’s Mauranipur where a crowd went berserk during a dance performance at the annual Jal Vihar Mahotsava leading to a lathi-charge by police present on the ground.

While the local police declined to comment on the matter, Jhansi senior superintendent of police Rajesh S stated that the organisers were explicitly advised against organising any dance event. The police have initiated an investigation into the incident.

Thousands had gathered at the Thursday night event for which the organisers had hired a belly dancer defying police advice.

As the dancer began performing to popular Hindi songs, many jumped the barricades and rushed towards the stage. Their increasingly unruly behaviour jeopardised the safety of both dancers and crew members, necessitating a drastic response from the police. One man even suffered a severe eye injury and was referred to the Jhansi Medical College.

The police resorted to using batons to disperse the unruly youths resulting in a sort of stampede at the site. The Mahotsava is a highly anticipated event organised by the Mauranipur Nagar Palika.

While the local police declined to comment on the matter, Jhansi senior superintendent of police Rajesh S stated that the organisers were explicitly advised against organising any dance event. The police have initiated an investigation into the incident.