Bhopal, March 28 Tensions continue to simmer in Gadra village in the Shahpur police station area of Mauganj district in Madhya Pradesh, following the violent events of March 15 that claimed the lives of Assistant Sub-Inspector Ram Charan Gautam and a young man, Sunny Dwivedi.
The aftermath of the incident has left the village in turmoil.
On Friday, representatives from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, along with various social organisations, staged a protest rally in Mauganj. They submitted a memorandum to the SP, demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the incident.
They also wanted to know what led to the death of Ashok Kol and what made Sunny Dwivedi visit the community on the evening when the clash occurred between the community and the police team. In a small village, if police have framed charges against 42-45 people, including women and minors, it cannot be termed as a fair investigation.
“We want a fair investigation and justice for those affected. The police are unfairly targeting innocent tribals and mistreating women and disabled individuals. We want a CBI probe into the entire incident,” Shivanshu Kol, founder of Adivasi Yuva Manch, who is also an advocate, told IANS. The organisation submitted a seven-pronged demand to the Superintendent of police on Friday.
Abhishek Master Buddhsen Patel, a former parliamentary candidate (Bahujan Samaj Party) in the 2024 elections, called for an impartial investigation.
Speaking to IANS, he stressed that the entire community should not be held responsible for the actions of a few. He urged authorities to uncover the root cause of the Gadra incident and ensure that even the thinnest voices within the community are heard. Patel had previously organised a gathering, urging officials to conduct a fair inquiry rather than treating the village as if it were under siege.
"Justice must be served to the guilty, regardless of their community," Patel, who is also an advocate, asserted.
Advocate Ravindra Kol, another community member and Adivasi Yuva Manch member, voiced his concern over the incident, as well as police investigation told IANS that community members had submitted their demands to the newly appointed Superintendent of Police on Friday, as well as to forums like the MP Human Rights Commission and the Minority Commission.
The Superintendent assured them that innocent individuals would be exonerated following a due investigation. However, Kol emphasised that the small tribal population in the village is determined to see justice delivered. The police have filed charges against 38 individuals.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Ankita Sulya, who was part of the team attacked on March 15, confirmed that a thorough investigation had been conducted and that innocent individuals were excluded from the charges.
Meanwhile, police sources said action has been taken against the family of the main accused and his associates.
The incident has sparked widespread anger among the tribal community, prompting Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav to remove both the then Superintendent of Police and the district collector from their posts in response to the March 15 events.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor