Three booked for stopping SC family from worshipping at Durga Puja pandal in MP

An FIR was registered under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Sadak Seoni villagers Meharban Singh Thakur, Naresh Thakur and Narayan Yadav

Bhopal: Three men have been booked for allegedly preventing a Scheduled Caste (SC) family from worshipping at a Durga Puja pandal in Sadak Seoni village of Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni district, police said on Friday, adding that all three accused are absconding.

Police teams are searching for them and a detailed investigation is underway (Representative photo)

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Chhapara police station under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against villagers Meharban Singh Thakur, Naresh Thakur and Narayan Yadav after a video of the incident was shared on social media on Thursday late evening.

“Shyamlal Ahirwar filed a complaint stating that on September 24, he, his wife Santoshi Bai, and their son Kartik had gone to a Durga Puja pandal to offer prayers. However, Meherban, stopped them near the temple and objected to their worship, verbally abusing them,” police station in-charge Khemendra Jaitwar said.

“Later, when Shyamlal went to the pandal to make a donation, Naresh and Narayan allegedly insulted him using casteist slurs. The accused also refused to accept the donation,” Jaitwar added.

Jaitwar said that police teams are searching for them and a detailed investigation is underway.