3 sadhus, suspected to be kidnappers, assaulted in West Bengal; 12 arrested

mangaloretoday.com

Purulia, Jan 13, 2024: Twelve people were arrested after three sadhus from Uttar Pradesh, en route to the Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal, were beaten by a mob on Thursday. The incident happened in Bengal’s Purulia district after the locals suspected the sadhus of being kidnappers.

The accused in the case will be presented before a court in the Purulia district.

 

The sadhus - a man and his two sons, had hired a vehicle to reach Gangasagar for the Makar Sankranti festival.

As they inquired about the route, some locals became suspicious, leading to an agitated crowd accusing them of kidnapping. They further assaulted the sadhus.

According to Purulia Police, "there was a misunderstanding between the sadhus and three local minor girls over language problem." Reportedly, the girls screamed and ran away, prompting locals to apprehend and manhandle the sadhus.

A video from the spot also showed the mob vandalising a vehicle, which apparently belonged to the sadhus.

As the situation escalated, local police intervened and rescued the sadhus and took them to the Kasipur Police Station.

Commenting on the incident, Abhijit Banerjee, Purulia Police Superintendent, said a case was registered and investigations were underway. Police also said that raids were being conducted to apprehend those involved in the assault.

The police also said that the sadhus had lost their way and had stopped to confirm the route with two girls. The girls got scared and ran away, they said, prompting locals to guess that the sadhus must have harassed the girls.

A transport to the Gangasagar Mela was later arranged for the sadhus, they said.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal BJP condemned the incident, lashing out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"Shame on Mamata Banerjee’s deafening silence! Are these Hindu Sadhus not worthy of your acknowledgment? The atrocity demands accountability," the party wrote on X, reposting a video of the incident as shared by BJP leader and the party’s IT Cell head, Amit Malviya.

Courtesy: India Today