As many as 22 people, including seven women, were arrested on Sunday for allegedly harassing a 81-year-old woman at a village in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, police said.
The accused are residents of Samahal village in gram panchayat Gahar of Sarkaghat sub-division.
Mandi superintendent of police (SP) Gurdev Chand Sharma said a few more arrests can be made after the investigation is completed. He said a case under Sections 147 (Punishment for rioting), 149(unlawful assembly), 452 (House-trespass) ,435 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance), 355 (Assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person) and 427(Mischief causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the accused for harassing the elderly woman. He added that they will also look into why no action was initiated against the accused earlier.
The incident took place in Samahal village of gram panchayat Gahar of Sarkaghat sub-division in Mandi district on Saturday. Police took cognisance after a video of the incident surfaced on social media. In the video, a group of youth can be seen smearing black polish on the elderly woman’s face and garlanding her with shoes. A few minutes later, they are witnessed forcefully dragging her in front of the local deity’s chariot in the village.
The group alleged that the 81-year-old widow, who resides with her elder daughter and son-in-law at Barchhwar village of the area, performed witchcraft and black magic on the people of the area. They had gathered outside her house a week ago and thrashed her windows and destroyed the belongings in her absence. It was learnt that the woman had filed a written complaint with local gram panchayat over the issue but she was ‘pressurised’ to withdraw it by locals.
{{/usCountry}}The group alleged that the 81-year-old widow, who resides with her elder daughter and son-in-law at Barchhwar village of the area, performed witchcraft and black magic on the people of the area. They had gathered outside her house a week ago and thrashed her windows and destroyed the belongings in her absence. It was learnt that the woman had filed a written complaint with local gram panchayat over the issue but she was ‘pressurised’ to withdraw it by locals.
{{/usCountry}}Sarkaghat sub-divisional magistrate Jafar Iqbal imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, which bans the assembly of four and more than four people, in gram panchayat Gahar after the administration got inputs that a group of people is planning to ‘gherao’ the police station by carrying the local deity’s chariot to protest against the arrests . In a press conference held by social activist Sanjay Sharma, the victim Raj Dei did not say a word as she seemed to be in a shock over the incident.
Her daughter Tripta alleged that on November 6 she had informed the police about the villagers threatening her mother but no action was taken. She added that now she has been receiving threats from the relatives of arrested person.
Social activist Sanjay Sharma said it seems that the police was waiting for the incident to happen to initiate action against the culprits. He urged chief minister Jai Ram Thakur to order a probe into the incident and suspend station house officer of the Sarkaghat police station.
Meanwhile chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has condemned the incident and ordered detailed investigation into the matter.
He said no one will be allowed to encourage violence in the state.