Funds provided to spread violence during Bharat bandh, say MP police
A police official says money was provided for banners, posters, lathis and it was but natural that youngsters armed with lathis would indulge in violence.
Several organisations and individuals were provided funds for spreading violence during the Bharat bandh in the Gwalior-Chambal region that claimed eight lives, Madhya Pradesh’s inspector general of police (Intelligence) Makrand Deouskar said on Saturday.
He clarified this was preliminary information and police were looking into leads on individuals suspected of funding the violent activities on April 2 in different districts.
Initially, police suspected the violence was by leaderless mobs, but investigation of funding has raised the possibility of coordination and planning to foment trouble.
A police officer associated with the probe said, “Money was provided for banners, posters, lathis etc. It was but natural that youngsters armed with lathis would indulge in violence.”
Incidentally, Gwalior police arrested a deputy manager of a bank after identifying him from videos of violence. “He maintained they were all for peaceful protests, and he had no idea how it turned violent,” said the officer, who did not want to be named.
So far, four government employees have been suspended for taking active part in the bandh during which several people were also injured and property worth lakhs was vandalised.