Chhattisgarh Tehsildar Association Demands Arrest Of BJP MLA, Starts 'Pen-Down' Protest
Tehsildar association chief says not trying to exert pressure, seeking arrest of Ramkumar Toppo, who is accused of assaulting a naib tehsildar, reports Bhupendra Dubey.
Published : June 3, 2026 at 2:06 PM IST
Raipur: Official work has come to a standstill across Chhattisgarh's tehsils, with all tehsildars currently staging a sit-in protest at the Tuta protest site in Raipur, demanding the arrest of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ramkumar Toppo, against whom a case has been registered regarding the assault on Tushar Manik, the naib tehsildar of Sitapur in Ambikapur district.
The Tehsildar Association has declared that their "pen-down" agitation will continue until Toppo is arrested.
Speaking to ETV Bharat at the Tuta protest site in Nava Raipur, Vikram Rathore — the executive president of the Chhattisgarh Junior Administrative Service Association (Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar Delegation) — said they harbour no grievances with the government, nor are they attempting to exert any form of pressure on it. Their sole demand is that the accused is arrested, and judicial process against him commences.
No Consensus Reached In June 1 Meeting: Association
Responding to questions regarding the agitation by tehsildars and naib tehsildars, Rathore said a meeting was held on June 1 between their organisation's office-bearers, including himself, and government ministers and secretaries. However, no consensus could be reached on the specific issues and demands they had presented before the government delegation.
He added that they were compelled to launch their agitation only because the talks bore no fruit. Rathore reiterated that while they hold no grievances against the government, they have been consistently conveying their stance to the administration since the day the incident occurred. He said that while a First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Monday (June 1) against over 12 individuals involved in the incident, not a single arrest has been made to date.
Lack Of Arrests Concerning: Tehsildar Association Chief
When asked whether there was any external pressure on the police, Rathore said, "I can't definitively state whether anyone is working under pressure; but the fact remains that no arrests have been made so far." He added that if even one individual among those involved had been arrested, it would have been perceived that the legal process had commenced. However, days after the incident, not a single arrest has been made. "We will continue our 'pen-down' protest until those implicated in this matter are taken into custody," he further said.
When asked if a strike was appropriate, given that a case has been registered, tehsildar association chief Vikram Rathore said: "We are not leveling any allegations that the police are acting under duress, nor are we suggesting that if the accused are arrested and subsequently granted bail, we would accuse the judge of acting under pressure."
He added, "However, our specific demand — that arrests must begin — has not yet been met. That's why we have been compelled to cease work. We have one demand. Those who perpetrated this act, and against whom a case has been registered, should be arrested. Until that time, we will continue our protest."
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