Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Police arrested Pravesh Shukla, whose video of urinating on a Tribal youth had gone viral, during the small hours on Wednesday. In the viral video, Pravesh Shukla was found in an inebriated state, with a cigarette on his mouth while taking a leak no the tribal youth who was seen sitting on the stairs of a commercial building.
As the incident kicked up a political storm in the state, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the government will ensure "sternest possible punishment" for the accused to make an example of him. "We will not spare him (culprit) at any cost." The CM parried the question on whether Pravesh Shukla was from BJP. "Criminals have no caste, religion and party. A criminal is just a criminal. He will not be spared," Chouhan asserted.
Pravesh Shukla was booked by Bahari police under sections 294 (obscene acts), and 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code, and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Sources said the police have invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) as well.
Police said Pravesh Shukla has been on the run ever since the vide went viral. He has been caught while fleeing to another place when the police closed in on him at around 2 am Wednesday. The police teams have already questioned the suspect's wife and parents in connection with the incident.
Anju Lata Patle, ASP, Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh, said, "We have taken the accused (Pravesh Shukla) into custody. He is under interrogation. Further legal action in the matter will be taken soon." The incident has sparked a huge outcry in the social media while some blaming the action of the government as means to arrest the outrage and some saying that the case will not end up in conviction in all its likelihood.
State BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma denied the charge that the suspect is a BJP MLA's representative. Vishnu maintained that such persons are not of any party. When specifically asked whether he was removed from the party, Sharma said, "Bilkul (absolutely)," PTI reported.
Sidhi MLA Kedarnath Shukla who was responding to the claims that Pravesh Shukla was his representative, dismissed it as a false claim. I don't know whether the victim is a tribal or not, but strict action should be taken against the culprit. He is not my representative, Kedarnath Shukla was quoted as saying by PTI. The MLA said he can have only three representatives -- in the district panchayat, Janpad and local municipal council -- and the arrested suspect was none of them and not related to him in any manner. (with Agency inputs)
