Bhopal, April 6 (IANS) Police have arrested three individuals in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur in connection with an assault on clergy members within the premises of the Ranjhi police station of the city.
Due to the nature of the charges — classified as ordinary assault — the trio was granted bail directly from the police station.
“Due to legal protocols, police have chosen not to disclose the identities of the accused,” a senior police official told IANS, adding, “They were charged under sections 351, 115, and 296 of the BNS Act and subsequently arrested.”
The matter also resonated in the Lok Sabha and the Kerala State Assembly, with Congress members staging a walkout on April 3, prompting the police to register an official complaint. However, Satish Sahu, the City Superintendent of Police, Ranjhi, had told IANS that the FIR had already been registered against unidentified individuals, relying on video evidence to track them down.
As the investigation progressed, tensions escalated when activists from Hindu outfits staged a road blockade on Saturday, halting traffic on the Jabalpur-Dindori route for nearly half an hour, according to reports and police sources.
The assault on clergy members at Ranjhi police station on March 31 set off a chain of events. Protesters claimed innocence for those named in the FIR, arguing that the actual culprits remain unidentified.
Despite their objections, the police proceeded with the investigation, further fuelling unrest. During the blockade, police teams from Ghampaur, Khamaria, and Ranjhi stations arrived at the scene to manage the situation, the sources said.
Officials assured the protesters that the investigation was being conducted impartially to restore calm. Although police officials refrained from providing detailed information about the case, sources revealed that the incident dates back to March 31, when members of certain Hindu organisations intercepted two buses carrying Christian pilgrims from Mandla. The passengers, primarily members of the tribal community, were on a religious journey. In contrast, Hindu outfit members alleged that the trip’s purpose was to facilitate conversions. Tempers flared as they brought the buses to Ranjhi police station, where violence erupted against clergies who had arrived at the scene.
The chaos was recorded on video, which later surfaced on various social platforms and microblogging sites. Outraged by the incident, members of the Christian community staged a demonstration on April 1 outside the Superintendent of Police’s office, voicing their anger and submitting a memorandum. According to CSP Satish Kumar Sahu, police identified three suspects from the viral video, including a woman.
–IANS
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