In another incident in the line of several reported over the past few weeks in Madhya Pradesh, a tribal youth working as a cleaner on a private inter-state bus service was stripped and beaten up along with the conductor of the bus by a passenger and his associates in Gunnor of Panna district.
The Congress has launched a scathing attack on the BJP government over the incident, sharing a CCTV grab of the incident and a video statement of the victim Rinku Kol.
Quoting a post of Madhya Pradesh Congress on social media platform X (earlier Twitter), the superintendent of police of Panna, Sai Krishna Thota said that a case under non-bailable sections was registered immediately after the incident and the main accused has been arrested and sent to jail.
Sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) of Gunnor Edwin Carr confirmed to THE WEEK that a case for assault and damage of property (as the bus windshield and windows were broken by the accused during the incident) had been registered against seven persons and the main accused Sajul Singh Parmar has been arrested. Search was going on for the other accused.
The incident occurred in the wee hours of Monday and a video (CCTV grab) went viral on Monday night, showing the stripping and beating up of persons later identified as Kol, bus conductor Umesh Tiwari and two passengers.
According to sources, the accused Sajul Singh Parmar had booked a ticket on the bus from Bharuch in Gujarat to come to Shankargarh in Gunnor of Panna. The bus is run by a Panna-based private agency.
After getting into the bus, Parmar reportedly demanded a separate seat for himself, which the conductor Tiwari refused. This led to an argument between them.
When the bus reached Shankargarh around 3 am on Monday, Parmar called some of his associates to the spot and they reportedly demanded money from Tiwari for buying liquor. When refused they beat up Tiwari as well as Kol, who was also stripped. Two passengers who tried to intervene were also beaten up and the driver was threatened with life for trying to stop them from damaging the bus, sources said.
After the video went viral, Madhya Pradesh Congress shared it on social media, saying “Tribal youth stripped naked and beaten up. In the incident at Gunnor in Panna district, a tribal youth traveling in a bus was mercilessly beaten up by a dozen people; Shivraj ji, where should the tribals go now? Why have you become so worthless?”
MP Congress also shared a video of victim Rinku Kol who said that he was stripped and beaten up for no fault and his ‘manager’ (conductor) was also beaten up. He said he was just doing his work and did not say anything to the accused passenger, yet he was assaulted.
MP Congress chief and ex-chief minister Kamal Nath made a scathing attack on the BJP government, highlighting the past incidents of atrocities on tribals. He said on social media platform X: “A tribal youth was stripped naked and thrashed badly in a bus by a dozen people at Gunnor in Panna district. In 18 years of Shivraj's shameful rule, a BJP system that is an enemy of tribals has been set up. Madhya Pradesh demands answers from ‘tyrant Shivraj’ on questions like: what are the reasons for atrocities on tribals in Madhya Pradesh increasing day by day?; why in your rule a BJP leader urinates on a tribal youth in Sidhi?; why under your rule, a tribal girl is buried alive in Nemawar along with five family members?; why has Madhya Pradesh become number one state in tribal atrocities under your rule?; why funds are not provided for running of SC/ST police stations?”
Nath further asked whether the BJP will apologise to the Panna victim for the incident and if stringent action will be taken within 24 hours rather than brushing the incident under carpet.
