A case has been registered against Arun Pannalal, President of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, following an ultimatum from Hindu organisations over a controversial social media post related to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Raipur’s Azad Chowk Police Station Officer Jitendra Asaiya stated, “Police have registered a case against Christian Forum President Arun Pannalal under sections 196 and 299. The Azad Chowk Police have begun their investigation into this matter.” He further added that two days prior, workers from Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad had surrounded Pannalal’s house and created a disturbance, demanding that a case be registered within 48 hours.
The sequence of events leading to this case begins with the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, in which 26 civilians were killed in Baisaran valley of Jammu and Kashmir. Pannalal reposted information about this attack on his social media, which allegedly contained incorrect details about the victims.
A Bharatiya Janata Party local politician named Amar Bansal objected to Pannalal’s Facebook repost on April 27, claiming that his sentiments were hurt, and filed a complaint against Pannalal at the local police station in Raipur.
Following Bansal’s complaint, police picked up Pannalal from his residence in Raipur at 6 am on April 28 and took him to the local police station. Pannalal provided a written apology for “hurting sentiments” and removed his post from social media. After a compromise was reached between Pannalal and his accusers, he was released by the police and returned home in the afternoon of April 28.
Despite this apology and compromise, Aadesh Soni, a local Hindutva leader, led a mob of Hindu extremists to Pannalal’s house at approximately 1:30 am on April 29. Soni, along with around 50 young men, stripped semi-naked (completely removing their upper clothing) while protesting in front of Pannalal’s residence.
“They threw stones at my house, burnt fire in front of the entrance of the gate, shouted threats and abuses in the middle of the night for almost 2 hours and created ruckus half naked (took off their shirts) in front of my house,” said Pannalal to Christian Today.
The following day, on April 30, Soni and several of his followers shaved their heads in protest, continuing to demand that formal charges be filed against Pannalal. They also announced plans for a larger “mundan” (head-shaving) protest at Jaistambh Chowk, Raipur, which is the heart of the capital city of Chhattisgarh, scheduled for May 1.
At some point during these events, the family of Dinesh Mirania, who was killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack, also filed a complaint against Pannalal, adding to the pressure on authorities to take action.
The protest at Jaistambh Chowk was ultimately cancelled by Soni in the early morning of May 1 after he learned that an FIR had finally been registered against Pannalal.
The confrontation between Soni and Pannalal has its roots in earlier controversies. Aadesh Soni had been in the news earlier this year for a controversial statement made in February, which he later denied. According to reports, he “declared on social media that the plan was to ‘kill all Christians [across the villages of Bishrampur, Ganeshpur, and Jhanakpur in Chhattisgarh], violate the honor of their daughters and daughters-in-law, commit obscene acts against them, forcibly enter Christian homes, and spare no one but corrupt them all’.” He reportedly called on followers to “mobilise at least 50,000 people for an attack on March 1, 2025.”
Pannalal and several Christian leaders from throughout India approached the authorities regarding Soni’s inflammatory call to attack Christians. Subsequently, Soni removed his controversial posts from his social media accounts and denied those claims, blaming Pannalal for amplifying “fake news” without proper verification.
“It is evident that Soni is now taking revenge from me,” said Pannalal regarding the recent protests and harassment.
Addressing the situation on social media, Pannalal offered an apology for the misunderstanding about his Pahalgam attack post. In his statement, he wrote, “Due to carelessness, one of my Facebook posts appeared contrary to my thoughts, which I myself do not agree with. This misunderstanding has been cleared. The affected family has accepted my apology, and I have deleted the post.”
He further expressed, “The case has been resolved. The semi-naked demonstrations by men at the Azad Chowk police station and at my house, where women also live, is not in accordance with Indian culture. It also disturbs public peace.”
Pannalal also expressed his condolences: “We feel deep pain for the casualties of our Hindu, Christian, and Muslim brothers. Personally and on behalf of my community, we express our deep condolences to the Dinesh Mirania family. We offer heartfelt tributes and pray that God gives peace to the departed soul. The Government of India should take the strictest action against the perpetrators of the attack. The Christian community has always worked and will continue to work for peace and in the interest of the country.”
