At least 12 people were injured in clashes that erupted between two groups over pani-puris in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district on Thursday, May 23, with bullets and bombs flying, underscoring how chaat (snack) stalls in UP are turning out to be flashpoints of violence.
"Six persons each from both sides have been arrested. Heavy deployment of police has been made to ease tension," ASP Rajesh Pandey said.
Police said that the violence started on Wednesday when some youths from Fattepur Roshnai village had a quarrel with a young man running the panipuri stall in the Aryanagar area. The dispute turns into a fight. A police complaint was lodged. Complainant Chetan Singh of Aryanagar alleged that after he went to the cops, a dozen youths from Fattepur arrived and abused him and his group.
In a viral video, a shop man was seen firing with his gun after a fight broke out between two groups.
Shop Owner Fires Shots From Terrace in a Viral Video
This sparked a fight between the two localities. When another armed group reached Aryanagar on Thursday, locals fired from rooftops and hurled traded bombs, police said. In 2021, similar clashes had broken out between a Baghpat chaat-seller and a dozen attackers. Videos had gone viral.