Nyaya (justice) is a word that easily rolls off the tongues of residents of Hastsal colony in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar. Here, even children as young as 10 are in crowds baying for blood in the name of justice. The anger traces back to the night of Holi. On March 4, Tarun Bhutolia, 26, lost his life in a ‘clash’ between two families over a Holi water balloon.
What began as an escalation of violence between two families was soon painted with a communal colour, with Tarun’s death being portrayed as an assault on the Hindu community as a whole. While the police arrested six adults and apprehended a minor the next day, it did not deter an angry mob from vandalising the house of one of the accused men, and burning their vehicles. The same house would later face ‘bulldozer action’ by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Published - March 15, 2026 05:54 am IST
