Kanpur, June 27 -- Violence erupted in Etawah district on Thursday after the police registered a case against two Bhagavat kathavachaks (religious storytellers), accused of concealing their caste identity during a discourse at Dandarpur village. The FIR was filed on allegations of caste-based misconduct. It triggered widespread protests by members of the 'Ahir Regiment', a socio-cultural body, leading to road blockades, slogan-shouting and stone-pelting incidents. Tensions had been simmering since the two kathavachaks were allegedly humiliated during a Bhagavat katha on June 21 at Dandarpur after it emerged that they were Yadavs. The two were reportedly made to perform acts of penance, including being tonsured and forced to rub their noses at the feet of women - acts that sparked public outrage and calls for legal action. Police had earlier arrested six individuals over the incident. However, villagers demanded further action, alleging that the kathavachaks had concealed their identity during discussions around their engagement. On Thursday, police registered cases against Sant Singh Yadav and Mukut Singh Yadav. One of the organisers, Jai Prakash Tiwari, who lodged the FIR, stated that had their caste identity been disclosed earlier, they would not have been engaged for the discourse. Later in the day, over 300 members of the Ahir Regiment staged a protest outside the Bakewar police station. Shouting slogans, the demonstrators blocked the busy Kanpur-Agra highway, disrupting traffic for over an hour. Police personnel from Bakewar, Bharthana, Lavedhi and Usrahar were deployed to disperse the protesters. A section of the crowd dispersed on the police's arrival but several others moved towards Dandarpur village. They were intercepted on the Ludhiyani-Nibadikala Road, where a heated exchange with security personnel escalated into violence. According to police officials familiar with the matters, the protesters began hurling stones when they were denied entry into the village. Several police vehicles were damaged in the attack. "The force acted with restraint and reinforcement was called in," said circle officer Atul Pradhan, who was present at the scene. There is a substantial police presence in and around Dandarpur now, where villagers have reportedly largely confined themselves indoors....