A day after a purported video of a youth peeing on the face of a tribal labourer in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district sparked outrage across the country, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s quick justice system – ‘bulldozer’ – was brought into action.
The accused, identified as Pravesh Shukla, is reportedly the representative of BJP MLA Kedarnath Shukla.
Administrative officials on Wednesday reached Pravesh’s house in Bahri area around 30-35 km from district headquarters Sidhi and a portion of the building was bulldozed in the presence of heavy police personal and media persons.
A large crowd also gathered to witness the ‘quick justice system’. Pravesh’s old-aged mother was seen crying and urging officials with folded hands to spare the house as “it was built by Pravesh’s father Ramakant Shukla’s hard earned money” but the officials paid no heed to it.
The ‘bulldozer system’ has became a symbol of justice in Chouhan-led government in Madhya Pradesh.
Pravesh was arrested late on Tuesday and police has invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against him on the instructions of the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, the state BJP has appointed a four-member panel to investigate the matter, despite maintaining that Pravesh has nothing to do with the BJP.
Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Arun Yadav countered the BJP with a list of BJP office-bearers from Sidhi, according to which, Pravesh was Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) vice president of a mandal.
Even Pravesh’s father Ramakant Shukla told reporters that his son was associated with the BJP and was very close to Kedarnath Shukla, a three-time BJP MLA from Sidhi.
Notably, after the incident came to light on Tuesday, Kedarnath Shukla rushed to Bhopal to meet the Chief Minister, sources told IANS.
The family of tribal man, who is said to be mentally challenged, told police that the victim was forced by the family of the accused to sign an affidavit declaring that the viral video which triggered an uproar on social media was fake.
The victim told the police that he didn’t remember the date or the month of 2020 when the incident took place.
“He said that a man with Pravesh tried to pee on him first but Pravesh stopped him and urinated on him. He (accused) also hurled abuses at him,” Sidhi Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anjulata Patle said.
“He said under their pressure, he signed an affidavit on July 3 that the video was fake but it is not fake,” Patle said, adding that three other persons were present with Pravesh when the incident took place and the police will also interrogate them.
2023070534527
