A team of State Reserve Police Force members fired upon a crowd protesting the recent desecration of a statue of Constitution maker B. R. Ambedkar.

On 11 July 1997, a statue of Ambedkar in front of the colony was found to have had a garland of sandals placed around its neck, in an act widely seen as a desecration.

[1] A team of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) members arrived a few minutes later, and opened fire on the crowd with live ammunition.

In response, about 25 police officers entered Ramabai Colony, deployed tear gas and began a lathi charge.

This was because the sub-Inspector who led the police force stood accused in multiple cases involving caste-based discrimination.

[2] In April 2011, the protesters who had been arrested for setting the bus on fire were acquitted, with the court finding that they had not been present during the incident.