Raipur: A pastor and two others were allegedly manhandled and abused inside a police station at Raipur by a group of right-wing activists on Sunday. The incident took place at the Purani Basti police station.
According to police, the group manhandled pastor Harish Sahu, accusing him of indulging in religious conversion. Ankush Bariyekar, general secretary of Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, and one Prakash Masih, who had come to the police station along with the pastor were also assaulted.
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Sahu had been called to the police station after a right-wing organisation submitted a complaint against him that he is indulging in religious conversions. Accordingly, he came to the police station today along with Bariyekar and Masih. But a group of right-wing activists present there manhandled and abused the trio inside the chamber of the station house officer (SHO), PTI quoted a senior official as saying. After the incident, Purani Basti station house officer (SHO) Yadumani Sidar was attached to the police lines by Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav, the official added.
A video of the said incident has gone viral on social media. On a complaint filed by Bariyekar, several people were booked under Sections 147 (rioting), 294 (obscene acts and songs), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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The incident comes close on the heels of another assault reported from Polmi village in Kabirdham district wherein a 25-year-old pastor was allegedly beaten up by a mob of over 100 people, who accused him of indulging in religious conversions.
