In an extraordinary display of collective anger, police personnel in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district on Monday publicly paraded a man accused of assaulting and partially disrobing a woman police constable. The accused, identified as Chitraseen Sao, was marched through the town with his face smeared black and a garland of slippers around his neck, amidst bursting fireworks.
A Dramatic Public Display of Police Fury
Male and female police officers formed a protective ring around Sao, forcing him to shout slogans like "Police hamari baap hai, vardi phaadna paap hai" (Police is our father, tearing the uniform is a sin). The procession moved from Raigarh's Hemu Kalani Chowk to the local court. At one point, officers made the accused perform sit-ups on the road as bystanders recorded the scene on their phones and police lit fireworks in a symbolic gesture of success.
This rare public spectacle was a direct response to a violent incident days earlier. It stemmed from protests against the Gare Pelma Sector-1 coal project in the Tamnar block. During the clashes, a mob assaulted police personnel, including a local woman police inspector. In a particularly distressing episode, another woman constable was attacked and partially disrobed. Videos of the assault circulated widely, triggering deep outrage within the police force.
The Violence and the Aftermath
The roots of the conflict trace back to a public hearing on the proposed coal block on December 8. Residents from 14 affected villages, opposing the project, began an economic blockade at Libra village from December 12, halting coal movement and traffic. The situation escalated on December 27, when around 300 villagers gathered at Libra Chowk, blocking the highway. The crowd soon swelled to nearly 1,000.
Despite repeated appeals for calm from police and administrative officials, protesters broke barricades, hurled stones, and attacked officers with sticks. Viral videos later showed Inspector Kamla Pusham being kicked and punched by women protesters. Several personnel, including women constables, were injured and hospitalized.
One harrowing video showed a woman constable crying and pleading with her attackers, addressing them as "brother." A male voice was heard threatening her with a slipper. Another clip showed a protester pulling at her clothes as she screamed for help. The incident drew condemnation from Chhattisgarh PCC president Deepak Baij, who called it a "shameful incident that has shaken humanity."
Arrests and Ongoing Investigation
Police stated that Chitraseen Sao, identified as the main accused in the assault and humiliation of the woman constable and the attack on Inspector Kamla Pusham, was arrested on Monday after days of intensive searches. With his arrest, a total of six accused have now been held. The others are Mangal Rathiya, Chinesh Khamari, Premsingh Rathiya, Kirti Srivas (all from Aamgaon), and Vanmali Rathiya (Jharna). One suspect remains at large.
Following the violence, Tamnar police registered an FIR with multiple IPC sections for rioting, assault on public servants, arson, outraging modesty, and provisions of the IT Act related to circulating objectionable videos. The probe into the wider conspiracy, destruction of property, and assault on officers continues.
The public march of Sao fulfilled a demand previously voiced by women constables. Earlier, on January 2, when two other accused were brought to the district jail, a group of women constables had demanded a public parade of the arrested, which senior officers had prevented at the time. Police personnel said Monday's march was their definitive response to the humiliation suffered by their colleagues.
The protests, which saw participation from over 4,000 villagers demanding the withdrawal of the coal block's public hearing, led the involved Jindal company to announce it would not conduct the hearing "for now."
