Authorities on Tuesday filed seven First Information Reports (FIRs) regarding the widespread arson in Chhattisgarh’s Balodabazar city, which targeted a significant government edifice, and commenced apprehending individuals suspected of instigating the tumult that erupted amid a demonstration by a prominent community, officials reported.
Balodabazar-Bhatapara district collector KL Chauhan indicated that approximately 200 individuals had been detained thus far, while Superintendent of Police (SP) Sadanand Kumar refrained from specifying a number, mentioning only that “several” individuals had been apprehended in connection with Monday’s disturbances. Officials have organized 12 squads to identify and capture the perpetrators responsible for the arson and the assault on law enforcement officers during the city’s protest, situated roughly 90 kilometers from the state capital, Raipur, an official stated.
On Monday, an agitated crowd ignited a government edifice housing the offices of the collector and SP, along with numerous vehicles in Balodabazar city, during a protest orchestrated by the Satnami community in response to the alleged desecration of a religious monument the previous month. Over two dozen automobiles, approximately 70 motorcycles, and the government building were set ablaze at the district office compound following the escalation of the protest into violence.
Roughly 50 police officers sustained injuries from stone-throwing, the official reported. “We have registered seven FIRs related to the violence. Twelve police teams have been mobilized and dispatched to various locations to track down those involved in the arson,” SP Kumar stated.
Culprits are being identified through CCTV footage, police recordings of the protest, and video clips from various sources, including journalists, he added. “We are coordinating with SPs from neighboring and other districts to apprehend the suspects. Some arrests have been made, and further details will be disclosed upon completion of the paperwork,” Kumar noted.
More than 100 vehicles, encompassing both four-wheelers and two-wheelers, were damaged in the arson, and a team has been formed to assess the extent of the damage, he mentioned. Around 50 police officers were injured, with one in serious condition and hospitalized in the neighboring Bilaspur district, the IPS officer informed.
Addressing the media, district collector Chauhan reiterated that about 200 individuals had been arrested, and efforts were ongoing to locate other suspects. A team has been established to evaluate the damage to government property and private vehicles caused by the arson, he added. Unidentified individuals vandalized the ‘jaitkham’ or ‘victory pillar,’ a revered symbol of the Satnami community, near the sacred Amar Gufa at Giroudpuri Dham on the night of May 15-16. Police subsequently detained three individuals in connection with the incident.
To protest the desecration, the community organized a demonstration at Dussehra Maidan in Balodabazar city and laid siege to the collector’s office. As the protest escalated into arson and stone-pelting, the Balodabazar-Bhatapara district administration invoked Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prohibiting the assembly of four or more individuals, rallies, and processions in the city until June 16.
To assess the situation, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also oversees the home portfolio, along with his cabinet colleagues Tank Ram Verma and Dayaldas Baghel, visited the district office early Tuesday. Speaking to reporters, Sharma expressed sorrow over the violence and instructed officials to take stringent action against the arsonists.
Footage from the protest site depicted around 50 motorcycles, two dozen cars, and the building housing the district collector and SP’s offices damaged by the arson. Two fire engines were also torched by the mob, which clashed with police. The influential Satnami community, established by medieval-era social reformer Baba Ghasidas, represents the largest Scheduled Castes group in Chhattisgarh.
