A court in Raipur has refused bail to seven members of the Bajrang Dal, who were arrested for allegedly storming a shopping mall and destroying its Christmas decorations last week. The judicial decision came on Monday, following the men's arrest on Saturday in connection with the incident at Magneto Mall in Chhattisgarh's capital.
Details of the Mall Vandalism Incident
The episode unfolded on Wednesday, Christmas Eve. A mob, reportedly armed with wooden sticks, forced its way into the popular Magneto Mall. The group then proceeded to vandalise festive installations, including figures of Santa Claus, reindeer, sleighs, and snowmen. Security personnel attempted to intervene but were overwhelmed by the attackers.
An employee of the mall described the terrifying scene. "Suddenly, 80-90 people barged in," he said. "The mob threatened, shouted and scared us. They did violence. It was not a protest. The vandalism has created an unsafe environment." Another staff member recounted that some women were left in tears, and the assailants charged at anyone trying to stop them, repeatedly declaring they did not want to see Santa.
Following the attack, the Telibandha police station registered a First Information Report (FIR) the same night against 30-40 unidentified individuals. The charges were filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including trespassing, intentionally causing damage to property, causing hurt, rioting, and unlawful assembly.
Arrests, Court Proceedings, and Protests
Police subsequently arrested seven individuals from right-wing groups on Saturday. They were produced before a magistrate and sent to judicial custody. A police official confirmed the arrests and stated that further identification of other accused persons was ongoing.
When the seven accused were presented in court again on Monday, their plea for bail was rejected. This legal setback for the accused triggered a significant protest. Approximately 300 workers and supporters of the Bajrang Dal gathered outside the Telibandha police station. They blocked a major arterial road, sitting on it and disrupting traffic for nearly nine hours to express their anger over the arrests.
Context of the Bandh and Wider Tensions
The vandalism at the mall occurred on a day when right-wing groups had called for a state-wide bandh (shutdown) in Chhattisgarh. This protest was ostensibly against alleged religious conversions in the state. The bandh call itself was said to be a reaction to a recent clash between two communities over the burial of a person from a converted family in Kanker district of the Bastar region.
The shutdown received a mixed response across Chhattisgarh. While many shops and commercial establishments remained closed in urban centres, its impact was more limited in rural areas. The incident at Magneto Mall, however, stands out as a violent manifestation of the tensions surrounding the bandh.
The case continues as police work to identify more individuals involved in the raid on the mall, with the seven arrested men remaining in judicial custody after the court's bail denial.
