Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh): Police on Sunday arrested five more persons in connection with a clash between two groups over alleged religious conversion in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district. With this, so far eight people have been arrested in connection with the incident, which took place at Gorra village under Edka police station limits on January 1, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said. The police had on January 3 arrested three persons.
Five more persons arrested on Sunday have been identified as Premsagar Netam (48), Lacchu Karanga (32), Santuram Dugga (35), Punuram Dugga (45) and Rajman Karanga (46), all residents of Narayanpur district, the official said. They were produced before a local court, which sent them to judicial custody, he said.
ASP Hem Sagar Sidar said, "There was a fight between two parties in Gorra village. The police force was dispatched to maintain law and order. As soon as the villagers reached the village, the police force was attacked. On Sunday, five accused were arrested. So far eight accused have been arrested. There are other people involved in this incident. Action is being taken to identify the accused involved. Legal action will be taken against him."
Also read:Narayanpur conversion row: Six more arrested including one who attacked SP
Three separate cases were registered at Edka police station following complaints received from tribals, tribal Christians and police about alleged attacks on them, police said. There have been reports of unrest at various villages in the Benoor area of the district for the last two months over the issue of alleged religious conversion.
On January 2, a church was vandalised and six police personnel, including an IPS officer, were injured in Narayanpur city during a protest by a group of tribals against the alleged religious conversion in the tribal-dominated area. Mohanti Salaam, a Class IX student, has been living in a shelter camp in Chhattisgarh's tribal-dominated Narayanpur district for the last 21 days after a clash between members of two communities over alleged religious conversion in remote Borawand village.
She lost her books and clothes when her family was allegedly evicted from the village following the clash, which took place amid the discord brewing for some time between the Christian and non-Christian communities in the district. Salaam says she wants to pursue studies and return to her village to be able to go to school. She is among more than 30 children living in the shelter camp set up in the Indoor Stadium in Narayanpur city after their families were allegedly forced to leave their villages for converting to Christianity. This is now affecting their studies.
