Chhattisgarh Anti-Mining Protest Turns Violent: Female Cop Attacked, Attempted 'Disrobing' Sparks Outrage in Raigarh

Raigarh: An anti-mining protest in Chhattisgarh’s Tamnar turned violent after a group of agitators went berserk, allegedly attacking police and even trying to molest a female constable. The protesters not only misbehaved with and assaulted the female constable but also made an unsuccessful attempt to strip her, police said.

Another female sub-inspector was also allegedly severely beaten by a group of women protesters. Sensing trouble for them, the protesters though tried to revive her by giving her water.

Female Constable Pleads for Mercy

Police said the female constable, who was performing her duty, became the subject of the violent attack. First, protesters allegedly assaulted the female constable and later they started tearing her clothes. Some people present at the spot filmed the act and made the video viral, sparking outrage and widespread condemnation. In the video, she was seen pleading with folded hands to let her go. Despite this, she was chased, and when she fell down exhausted in a field, protesters allegedly tried to strip her clothes.

Villagers later condemn the act

Fearing consequences, villagers who allegedly participated in the protest have condemned the “shameful incident”. They claimed that anti-social elements were behind the act. “We have no connection with the anti-social elements who carried out the attack. We demand that the government and administration take strict action against all the culprits involved in the incident so that such incidents do not recur in the future,” Umesh Kumar Sarathi, a local, said.

According to him, the incident appears to be part of a well-planned conspiracy to defame the peaceful public movement. The villagers of the Tamnar area have been protesting peacefully and democratically for their rights for the past 20-21 days, he said.

“The accusation is completely baseless and false. Anti-social elements infiltrated the movement with the intention of weakening it and attempted to sabotage it,” Chandramani Thethwar, a retired teacher, said.

The police have registered a case against the accused, bringing charges such as robbery, attempted murder, and molestation against the attackers. The police also arrested two persons in connection with the case. Others are being identified through footage and other sources.

“The police team is trying to identify the accused in connection with the incident in Tamnar. The search for several accused involved in this case is also underway. Everyone will be punished. We are taking the matter seriously. Strict action will be taken against those involved in the incident,” Divyang Patel, SP, said.

Congress blames BJP-led state government

The Congress condemned the state government for the violence, alleging deterioration of law and order. “This is not just an isolated incident in Tamnar. Similar public anger against the police was also witnessed in Lohari, Kawardha. Following this, the SP and Collector's offices in Balodabazar were set on fire, forcing police officers and officials to flee through the back door to save their lives. In Balrampur, the mob chased the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) to kill him. It cannot be denied that since the BJP government came to power in the state, banking on public trust, security scenario has deteriorated. Now the public has crossed all limits and is enraged,” Sushil Anand Shukla, Congress spokesperson, said.