A Jharkhand village is on the boil after a 32-year-old man was booked for forcible religious conversion.
Following the allegation of forced conversion, a mob pelted stones at his house, burnt it and then attacked the police after they tried to intervene.
The incident took place in the Jhimri village in Nimdih police station of Saraikela-Kharsawan district, where the man has been arrested, according to The Indian Express. Several people are said to have sustained minor injuries in the stone pelting.
In order to disperse the mob, the police conducted aerial firing and resorted to lathi-charge. Several senior officials, including the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP), reached the spot and managed to bring the situation under control. Police are now conducting flag marches throughout the village.
An FIR was registered against the accused after a complaint that he had allegedly abducted a girl from the Kudmi community and forcibly converted her.
The police said that the girl was located and that she was not a minor. The girl has denied the allegations of forced conversion made by the residents. The officials said that her statement will be recorded in court within two days.
How the Violence Escalated
On Saturday evening, a group of people set fire to two or three shops in Jhimri village, worsening the atmosphere. Upon receiving information, the police and other officials rushed to the spot. However, the mob clashed with the officials, following which police resorted to lathi-charge. During the stone-pelting by the miscreants, police vehicles were damaged and some officers were injured.
Superintendent of Police Mukesh Lunayat said the case is under investigation and more clarity is expected after the girl records her statement.
“One man was arrested soon after the FIR was filed. But after the complaint, we were informed that some villagers tried to harass the accused’s family, pelting stones and setting fire to their home. Prompt action by local police ensured the family’s safety. However, the mob also attacked the police,” Lunayat said.
The police have also booked seven locals for attacking the accused’s house on Saturday.
BJP leader Babu Lal Marandi raised the issue on social media, claiming that it was a case of religious conversion and urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to take strict action.