RAIPUR: Many vehicles and a government building were set on fire in Chhattisgarh’s Baloda Bazar district on Monday after a 24-day-long protest by the Satnami community demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the vandalisation of the community’s place of worship turned violent, police said.
The circumstances that led to the protest, which started outside the district collector’s office on May 17, turned violent are unclear. The Satnami community members have been protesting the damage to their religious place, Jaitkhambh in the Girodpuri area of the district, on May 15. Three persons were arrested in this connection but the community members claimed that the actual perpetrators hadn’t been arrested and demanded a CBI enquiry.
Baloda Bazar superintendent of police Sadanand Kumar said the protest turned violent at about 3:30 pm on Monday when thousands of protestors broke through barricades and barged into the collectorate to push for their demand.
“They had promised peaceful protests but it turned violent and they pelted stones on police . They have set ablaze vehicles and building premises. They were demanding CBI enquiry even after we instituted an enquiry into the Jaitkham damage as per the instructions of deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma,” said.
“ The situation is under control and investigation is going on,” said the SP.
Police said more than three dozen cars and two-wheelers were torched.
The district police chief added that an assessment of the damage was being done.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai took stock of the situation. In a post on X, Sai said he had directed Raipur range inspector general of police (IGP) and Raipur divisional commissioner to immediately go to the spot.
The CM has directed to take strict action against those who disturb social harmony and has appealed to everyone to maintain harmony, it added.
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