Shaligram alias Saurav Garg, younger brother of Dhirendra Shastri – the chief of Bageshwar Dham, was reportedly arrested and presented in the Chhatarpur district court on Thursday, where he was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 25,000.
Interestingly, police remained tight-lipped about the development and there was no official word on the arrest, leading to speculations whether Garg was arrested or had surrendered in the court. Chhatarpur superintendent of police (SP) Sachin Sharma did not respond to phone calls.
Sources however said that Garg was arrested along with two associates, including one Rajaram Tiwari, and the trio was presented in the court. The police reportedly asked for custody of the accused, but they were granted bail.
Bamitha police in Chhatarpur had registered FIR against Garg for causing disruption in the marriage of a dalit girl and intimidating the family in Gadha village, after videos of the incident that happened on February 11 had gone viral on social media.
Initially, on February 21, the case was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 294 (using obscene words), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 427 (mischief causing damage to property), apart from three sections of SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act. Sources said that case of attempt to murder (section 307 IPC) and relevant sections under Arms Act were also imposed on Garg after a second video showing Garg firing in the air had come into circulation.
Dhirendra Shastri had distanced himself for the entire episode, saying that everything should not be linked to him. “Jo karega so bharega (will reap as one sow),” Shastri had said in a video statement following the registration of FIR on Garg. He further said that there is a constitution in India and law will deal with the incident with fairness and transparency. “I am always with truth,” he had said.
However, the Chhatarpur police had been under fire for failing to arrest Garg and political interference was alleged. Bhim Army had held a huge protest rally on February 25 demanding immediate arrest of Garg as the accused had remained absconding. It also warned of a bigger agitation if the arrest did not happen soon and sections for attempt to murder and Arms Act were not added to the FIR.
Bamitha police had taken suo motu cognizance of a video that showed Garg brandishing a gun, smoking a cigarette and abusing the family in foul language, using expletives, as the family involved had failed to lodge any complaint. Gadha is the home village of Dhirendra Shastri and the family wields strong influence in the region.
According to the initial FIR, the incident occurred around midnight on February 11, in Gadha village, where preparations were on for the wedding of the daughter of Kallu Ahirwar. Garg barged into the venue with some of his associates and started abusing the family and during the course, took out his gun and fired in the air. He also broke some chairs at the venue.
He also threatened to kill people if they did not listen to him. The marriage got disrupted and the groom's side wanted to return without conducting the ceremony, however, local people intervened to get the marriage done, sources said.
Garg was upset because the Ahirwar family had earlier registered for the marriage of their daughter as part of the mass marriage ceremony to be conducted at Bageshwar Dham on the occasion of Mahashivaratri, but later decided to opt out and get the marriage conducted as a separate ceremony, sources said. They added that Garg is given to pulling his weight around in the area, often in an intoxicated condition. Sources also said that later the family was called to the Bageshwar Dham to pacify them and was asked not to file any complaint.
The family head gave a statement to the police only when the cops reached their home, having taken the video in cognizance.
