The anxiety in the bylanes of JJ Colony in New Delhi’s Uttam Nagar is hard to miss. “Everything is fine now, but we don’t know what will happen on Eid” is a common refrain in the west Delhi neighbourhood that has been thrown under the national spotlight over the death of a 26-year-old in a clash between two families on Holi.
There is an eerie silence. Barricades and groups of police constables block every entry and exit point to the west Delhi colony, especially the lane where Tarun Butolia, who died, used to stay.
Only residents are allowed to enter the colony provided they show address proof. Several shops are shut, and CCTV cameras are being installed. The entrance to JJ Colony has a large waste dump and the lanes are very small. Residents park their cars outside the colony.
CCTV cameras being installed in JJ Colony The Telegraph Online
Balloon to blood on Holi day
On March 4, a quarrel erupted between two families over the throwing of a water balloon, which escalated to a fight. An 11-year-old from Tarun Butolia’s family had thrown a water balloon from the terrace. According to local residents, while the balloon did hit its intended target, the child's father who was standing on the street, some water splashed onto a neighbour.
The woman on whom the water splashed called her family and a fight broke out. Butolia, 26, was injured.
Ashok Kumar, e-rickshaw driver, told The Telegraph Online that they saw Tarun Butolia prone on the side of the street and began shouting to alert everyone and ask who he was. After a while, Butolia’s family came and took him to the nearby hospital on a scooty, Kumar said. Tarun Butolia died at the hospital.
Police have arrested 14 people in the case; two minors have also been taken into custody. The FIR has invoked sections related to murder along with the SC/ST Act.
According to the police, eight people from both sides were injured. Kumar said that he saw members of the other family injured in the clash too.
Enter outsiders, cue outrage
Since Butolia's death, several members of right-wing organisations have visited the family, and social media platforms have been filled with outrage and hashtags like #JusticeforTarun. The incident has been given communal colour.
Till Sunday, processions were organised by right-wing organisations, mainly the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and provocative speeches were made.
“The speeches were spontaneous,” Surendra Jain, joint general secretary, VHP, told The Telegraph Online. “The VHP wants both communities to live peacefully and celebrate their festivals peacefully. But nowadays every single festival is marred with violence, so the anger in the people is understandable.
“The VHP did not instruct its members to give such speeches or issue any kind of threats, but one needs to understand that when such things happen against Hindus, they will be angry,” he added.
Most neighbours and local residents The Telegraph Online spoke to said it was a dispute between two families and there is no communal angle. There are around 200 Hindu families and roughly 15 Muslim families in the colony, according to the e-rickshaw driver Kumar.
“These two families have known each other for around 50 years,” DCP Dwarka Kushal Pal Singh said at a media conference.
“They [Butolia's family] are originally from Rajasthan. Earlier, they used to live in the slums of Rajendra Nagar. After 2004, they shifted here. During questioning, it was also found that, like between neighbours, they had disputes earlier over parking. But it was not communal,” he said.
Butolia may have been associated with the Bajrang Dal. Videos posted on social media show him participating in several earlier right-wing processions in the area.
According to local residents, when the news of his death spread, Bajrang Dal and VHP men from neighbouring areas came to the colony in large numbers, took out processions and delivered provocative speeches.
A large meeting was held in a nearby park where Butolia's family presented their demands. Since then, the area has been calm, and no such processions or speeches have been made.
National spotlight
A civil society group of eminent Muslims has written to Union home minister Amit Shah over “open threats” to Muslims in Uttam Nagar, PTI reported on Thursday.
Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia have directed police and authorities to ensure peaceful Eid celebrations in Uttam Nagar. Acting on a PIL by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, the court ordered strict vigilance, continued security till Ram Navami, and preventive measures against unrest.
Heavy barricading at the entrance of JJ colony.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has urged Uttam Nagar residents to maintain peace, saying they had already suffered after Tarun Butolia’s death.
In a post on X, he accused the BJP of promoting violence and hatred, alleging attempts to create Hindu-Muslim tensions. He appealed to people not to fall for provocation, stressing unity and brotherhood amid heightened tensions and protests.
A peaceful colony on the brink
JJ Colony has always been a peaceful place, said Guddu, an autorickshaw driver who lives there.
“We have been living here for over 50 years and this area has always been peaceful. Hindus and Muslims have always lived in peace here. This is the first time that we are seeing such tension.” He, along with several others The Telegraph Online spoke to said that no one from the colony is trying to create a rift between the two communities – it is people from outside who came and did that.
Several Muslim families, especially those who live near Butolia’s house, have left town for Eid. Some others are still planning to leave. The situation is calm, said almost every single person, adding: “We don’t know what will happen on Eid.”