Adoni: Despite the measures taken by police, a 11-year-old boy died and more than 70 people were injured in a fight at a temple in Devaragattu, in Kurnool district on Friday night as part of Banni festival.
The victim was identified as Mahesh of Neraniki village. He succumbed to injuries in Alur hospital. According to reports, Mahesh was a Class V student.
According to police sources, the two groups clashed with stones and sticks on Friday night leading to police intervention to disperse the warring groups.
The festival is celebrated in the Malava Malleswara Swamy temple at Neraniki, near Aluru in Kurnool district on the Karnataka-Andhra border on Vijayadasami Day.
People from over 30 villages from both states took part in the festival. As per the temple ritual, after the celestial wedding, thousands of devotees armed with clubs jostle with each other to ‘hijack’ the processional deities to their respective villages which they believe augurs well for them if they succeed.
During the ritual, residents of Neraniki and its hamlets put up a stiff resistance to protect the deities. The able-bodied men holding large wicks and sticks indulged in mock fight.
Scores of people suffer head injuries and leave the place after smearing turmeric powder to the wounds.
Police teams led by SP Ravikrishna and DSP Shivarami Reddy deployed 11 policemen to prevent untoward incidents but their efforts failed and violence took place. Earlier, the police and district administration had launched several awareness campaigns to educate the public about the negative impacts of the ritual, but in vain.
