A police team was subjected to a vicious mob attack in Guna district's Panchi village on Monday evening, following their intervention in a volatile dispute surrounding a young woman's inter-community marriage. The incident, which resulted in multiple injuries to police personnel, has led to the registration of a case against 30 named and unidentified individuals.
Violent Assault on Police Constables
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Constable Narendra Ojha, posted at the Binaganj outpost, and another constable had gone to the village after receiving information about a gathering. Members of the Lodha community and other villagers were reportedly planning to block traffic near a temple on the service road. Constable Ojha stated that while he was on the phone with his outpost, two men from the crowd suddenly grabbed him and his colleague, shouting that they were police personnel who had come to gather information. This identification triggered the immediate and violent response from the mob.
The two policemen were kicked, punched, and forcibly dragged towards nearby fields. During the assault, one of the accused allegedly bit Constable Ojha on his back. Others threw both officers to the ground and attacked them with wooden sticks pulled from nearby bushes. Ojha sustained a bleeding head injury and blunt injuries on his back and left hip. His colleague suffered injuries to both shoulders and below the waist.
Escalation and Attack on Reinforcements
The violence escalated when a police vehicle reached the spot in response to a distress call. The FIR states that the mob then turned on the newly arrived police team, attacking them with sticks and sharp weapons. This assault left a head constable and an assistant sub-inspector bleeding. The mob also pelted stones at the police vehicle, breaking its rear glass. It was only after additional police force arrived at the area that the mob finally dispersed, fleeing the scene on motorcycles and tractors. In the chaos, Constable Ojha lost his wallet, while his colleague's mobile phones and wallet went missing.
Root Cause and Aftermath
The entire episode was triggered by anger within the Lodha community over a young woman marrying a man from another community. Police had earlier refused to hand over the woman to the crowd, citing her status as an adult and her request for police protection. This refusal is believed to have led the crowd to regroup and turn violent. Following the attack, senior police officials visited the district hospital on Tuesday to assess the condition of the injured personnel. Police have confirmed that two accused have been arrested so far, and raids are currently underway to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the brazen attack on the police team.
