Tension grips MP’s Balaghat dist, mob attacks police

Police resorted to lathi-charge as tension gripped certain parts of Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district when a mob demanding naked parade of some accused who were allegedly responsible for a woman’s death turned violent on Wednesday.

Police resorted to lathi-charge as tension gripped certain parts of Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district when a mob demanding naked parade of some accused who were allegedly responsible for a woman’s death turned violent on Wednesday.

The woman Yogita Chauhan (27) was found dead hanging from a ceiling fan at her in-laws’ place at village Katera. There were allegations that the in-laws harassed the woman for dowry.

When a police team was taking woman’s husband Sushil Chauhan and two other members of the family to the police station Katangi, a group of villagers attacked the police vehicle. The vehicle was overturned by the mob. However, the police personnel and the detained persons managed to get off the vehicle. .

The villagers were demanding that police parade the accused in a naked condition from the village to the police station. The police team had to resort to lathi-charge in a bid to disperse the mob. While a group of villagers attacked the police vehicle, another group vandalised the accused Sushil’s house and damaged the household articles.

According to the police sources the villagers were agitated because a relative of the accused is associated with a political party and they feared that the case could be hushed up by the police under the influence of the politician.

Later the police force was rushed to the village from adjoining areas to control the situation. The village is about 45 kilometers away from the district headquarters.

Yogita took the extreme step as she was allegedly harassed for dowry by her in-laws, Balaghat superintendent of police Gaurav Tiwari said.

The police got evidence of Rs 3 lakh recently given by the parents of the deceased to her in-laws, he said.

It was the case of abetment to suicide as there are clues of woman was tortured regularly for dowry, the SP said. The police was in process of registering an FIR in the matter, he said.

The police picked Sushil Chouhan, husband of Yogita, and two other family members after the matter was reported to the police.