Retired police officer arrested for vandalising RSS office in Indore

Shrikant Sharma, a retired deputy commandant of Special Armed Force of the Madhya Pradesh police, had earlier objected to the setting up of an office of the RSS for the Ram Temple fund collection drive in his neighborhood.

Updated on: Jan 19, 2021, 23:36:39 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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A retired police officer was arrested in Indore on Tuesday for vandalising an office set up for holding fund collection drive for construction of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, and hurting religious sentiments, police said.

The data showed that from January 1 to December 31, 2020, 148 murder cases were registered, whereas the number in 2019 was 165. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Shrikant Sharma, a retired deputy commandant of Special Armed Force of the Madhya Pradesh police, was arrested under sections 294 (Obscene acts and songs), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and 452 (House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code, said Rajendra Soni, town inspector, Banganga police station, Indore.

Soni said, “Sharma was raising objection over the setting up of an office of the RSS for fund collection drive in his neighborhood. He barged into the office late Monday night and threatened people to close the office immediately. He vandalised the office, tore a picture of Bharat mata and pamphlets having pictures of lord Ram. He also threatened to shoot the office bearers.”

The complaint was lodged by RSS worker Sunil Kumar Hedu and three others at Banganga police station late night on Monday.

“Sharma tore the pictures of Bharat Mata and pamphlets having pictures of Lord Ram. This act hurt our religious sentiments,” Hedu said in his complaint.

After his arrest, Sharma was produced before a court which sent him to judicial remand, Soni said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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