Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh): Six youths from Rajasthan were arrested for assaulting three Jain monks with sticks at Balaji temple in Kachla village under Singoli police station on Sunday night.
Neemuch SP Ankit Jaiswal confirmed the arrests and said all six accused were caught within hours of the incident.
The accused were identified as Ganpat Nayak, Gopal Bhoe, Kanhaiyalal Bhoe, Raju Bhoe, Babu Sharma and a minor – all residents of Rajasthan. A video of the accused being paraded through the town by police went viral, showing them apologising with folded hands during the procession. Amid mounting anger, local Jain community members called for Singoli Bandh on Monday.
According to reports, the three Jain monks Shailesh Muni, Balabhadra Muni and Munindra Muni were staying at the temple when the accused approached them in an inebriated state and demanded money. When the monks refused, they were violently attacked with sticks, sustaining serious injuries on their heads and backs.
The injured monks managed to alert nearby villagers with the help of a passerby. Villagers quickly gathered and informed police. Singoli police, led by station in-charge BL Bhabhar, arrived at the spot and launched a search operation. While two accused were caught on Sunday night with villagers’ help, the remaining four were apprehended near Chittorgarh by Monday morning, thanks to an activated informer network.
Despite their injuries, the monks reportedly declined medical treatment after sunset, citing religious customs. They were later examined once the sun rose.
Neemuch MLA Omprakash Sakhlecha visited Singoli on Monday, met injured monks and assured them of strict action. District Collector Himanshu Chandra also arrived at the scene and held a meeting with community representatives.