Bhopal: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday demanded arrest of eight policemen, including suspended additional superintendent of police (Addl SP), charged with attempting to murder its pracharak in Balaghat district last month. While talking to media persons here, RSS leaders told, We demand the arrest of policemen responsible for brutally beating our pracharak on the intervening night of September 25-26 in Baihar area in Balaghat district.
Police have done gross injustice to RSS Balaghat pracharak Suresh Yadav, said Rajkumar Matale, the Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh region sampark pramukh of the organisation. Yadav was picked up from the RSS office at Baihar around 8 PM on September 25 and beaten up in a barbaric manner in public as if he was a history-sheeter, he alleged.
RSS Madhya Bharat sah-prant sanghchalak Ashok Pandey alleged that police conspired with anti-social elements and attacked Yadav. Shockingly, a case was registered against him at 9.35 PM, he said. On October 2, the state government transferred the Inspector General of Police of Balaghat range, DC Sagar, and the district Superintendent of Police Asit Yadav in this connection. While Sagar was moved to the Police Headquarters here as IGP (planning), Asit was transferred as Commandant, 13th Battalion of Special Armed Force at Gwalior.
Balaghat Addl SP Rajesh Sharma, who has been charged with attempt to murder, was also suspended. Besides, on September 26, two police officers from Baihar police station in Balaghat district had been suspended in this connection. The tussle between police and RSS started after Suresh Yadav’s arrest on September 25 for allegedly posting objectionable comments about AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on WhatsApp. Yadav was taken to Baihar police station. He escaped and hid in the house of Swami Prasad Asati, but the police caught him and brought him back to the station and booked him under section 295 (a) of the IPC (outraging religious feelings).