BHOPAL: The alleged killing of a young tribal woman by a man belonging to an OBC triggered violent protests by tribals and resultant police action, including firing, outside a police outpost in Indore district’s Mhow sub-division on Wednesday night. A tribal youth died and around 15 cops were injured.
A preliminary report of the autopsy of the woman’s body on Thursday suggested that the 22-year-old woman died after getting electrocuted by an immersion rod (being used to boil water) inside the accused Patidar caste man’s house on Wednesday. However, the police have lodged a case of murder against the Patidar man and arrested him on the complaint by the deceased woman’s kin.
The state government has ordered a magisterial probe into the entire episode, including violent protests outside the police outpost and the killing of the 18-year-old tribal youth Bherulal in firing. Also, Rs 10 lakh has been announced for the victim Bherulal’s family, along with a government job for the family’s elder son. Arrangements will also be made in tribal hostels for the proper education of the children from the family.
While Indore’s additional district magistrate AD Sharma will conduct the magisterial probe into the Wednesday night violence outside Dongergaon police outpost and the death of tribal youth Bherulal in firing, prohibitory orders have been enforced, banning rallies, protests and demonstrations in five police station areas of Indore district.
In Bhopal, meanwhile, the issue rocked the ongoing Budget session of the assembly on Thursday, as Congress MLAs staged a walkout over the issue, accusing the BJP government of failing to protect tribal interests.
“In the 18 years of BJP rule in the state, MP has topped the country in crime/atrocities against tribals for 13 years and stood second on the same parameter in the rest five years. This is not as per me or Congress, but as per the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) figures,” state Congress president Kamal Nath said. He said a four-member Congress team would visit the site and conduct a parallel probe.