MP protest over tribal woman’s death turns violent, 1 killed in police firing; CM Chouhan orders inquiry

Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], March 16 (ANI): An 18-year-old tribal man died after police resorted to aerial firing and tear gas shells to control a crowd of protestors in Dongargaon in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district, a police official said on Thursday.

The deceased man has been identified as Bherulal (18).
The crowd was protesting the death of a 22-year-old tribal woman who was found dead on Wednesday and allegedly died due to electrocution in Dongargaon village located in Mhow locality of the disctrict.

Following the death of the woman on Wednesday, her family members along with other people of the tribal community staged a protest by placing the body on the road outside Dongargaon police outpost demanding that the accused be handed over to them.

Protestors also pelted stones on the outpost with police retailiatiing with aerial fire and shooting tear gas shells to control the situation. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.

Inspector General of Police Rakesh Gupta said, “A complaint was received from the family members that the woman died due to electrocution. Acting on the complaint, the post mortem of the woman was conducted and a case of murder was registered into the matter.”

“Soon the accused was taken into custody and he was being interrogated. In the meantime, a crowd gathered at the police outpost and raised a demand to register a complaint. When they were told that the complaint was already registered and the accused was arrested, after that some miscreants among them started shouting that they would punish the accused,” the inspector genreal Gupta said.

“The protesters tried to enter inside the police outpost to take out the accused. During this, they were stopped by the magisterial officer present on the spot and protesters also pelted stones on the outpost. Police opened aerial fire as self defence and in an unfortunate incident a tribal man died,” the official said.

He added that a magisterial injury was ordered into the matter.

Earlier, Superintendent of Police (SP, Rural) Bhagwat Singh Virde said, “The tribal woman, Kavita used to live with a man of Patidar community and the man claimed her as his wife. Kavita’s family members claimed that the man took Kavita and murdered her by electrocution.”

Acting into the matter, a case of murder was registered against the accused and he was arrested, he added.

“The accused was at the Dongargaon police outpost and in the meantime, the family members and other people belonging to the tribal community reached here and staged a demonstration by keeping the body. When the body was sent from here, the protestors demanded the accused be handed over to them,” he added.

“As soon as the body was released from here, the crowd pelted stones in which around ten policemen, including Dongargaon police station in-charge Bharat Singh, were injured. Those who pelted stones also got hurt,” SP Virde added.

He also confirmed that a tribal youth died in the incident who was identified as Bherulal (18).

Meanwhile, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president and former chief minister CM Kamal Nath said that a team compsing tribal MLAs of Congress including Kantilal Bhuria, Bala Bachchan, Jhuma Solanki and Pachilal Meda will investigate the incident.

PCC Chief Nath also wrote on twitter, “Murder of a tribal girl after gang-rape in Mhow area of Indore district and death of a tribal youth in police firing have proved the Jungle Raj prevale in Madhya Pradesh. I am distressed by this heartbreaking incident and stand with the aggrieved tribal families in this hour of grief.”

“I have also constituted an inquiry team consisting of senior tribal MLAs to investigate the incident which has already left for the spot. This incident of gang rape and police firing in Madhya Pradesh, which is at the top of the country in terms of atrocities on tribals, has horrified the tribals. Now there is no hope left from this BJP government,” Nath tweeted.