40 Booked As Mob Vandalises Christmas Decorations At Chhattisgarh Mall
The incident occurred at Magneto Mall in Raipur during a day-long 'Chhattisgarh bandh' called by Hindu organisations to protest alleged religious conversions.
Published : December 26, 2025 at 8:08 AM IST
Raipur: Forty unidentified persons were booked for vandalising Christmas decorations at a mall in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur, police said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at Magneto Mall in the state capital on Wednesday during a day-long 'Chhattisgarh bandh' called by Hindu organisations to protest alleged religious conversions. CCTV footage from the mall showed a group entering the premises with sticks, vandalising property, and misbehaving with the security personnel.
According to Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Lal Umed Singh, based on the CCTV footage and the complaint by the staff, the police have registered an FIR against 40 accused under various sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) at the Telibandha police station. “The accused will be arrested soon,” he added.
The police officer further said that several accused will be identified through their vehicle numbers and will be apprehended shortly. “The statements of eyewitnesses and suspects are being recorded,” he said.
The mall's management said the mob of 40-50 persons was aggressive and violent, running through the mall with rods and hockey sticks, adding that the incident took place despite the mall being officially closed in support of the bandh.
Videos of the incident went viral on social media, showing agitators raising slogans and damaging Christmas decorations both inside and outside the mall, including a Christmas tree.
The day-long bandh, which was called following a recent clash over the burial of a person from a Christian family in Kanker district, received a mixed response across Chhattisgarh. While normal life was disrupted in several cities, only a partial impact was seen in others.
Meanwhile, four Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders were arrested on Thursday in Assam’s Nalbari for vandalising Christmas items and threatening not to celebrate in the town. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) president, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, had on Christmas eve appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and chief ministers of various states to ensure strict enforcement of law and extend proactive protection to Christian communities across the country.
In a video appeal to the prime minister released by the CBCI, the Archbishop expressed "deep pain" over the "disturbing rise in attacks on Christians" and said such incidents deeply wound the spirit of India's Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.
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