Six members of the Bajrang Dal who were arrested for vandalising Christmas decorations at Magneto Mall in Raipur received a celebratory reception from supporters after being granted bail, sparking fresh controversy over the December 24 incident.
A Sessions Court granted bail to the six men, overturning an earlier decision by a magistrate court. The men had spent five days in judicial custody following their arrest.
Upon their release, Bajrang Dal members welcomed the accused with garlands, sweets and firecrackers, accompanied by chants of “Raghu Pati Raghav Raja Ram”, a Hindu hymn. A procession was organised, with supporters carrying the six men on their shoulders through the streets of Raipur.
As per media reports, Rishi Mishra, state coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, defended the celebration and justified the slogans raised against the Christian community. “What is wrong in raising slogans against them? The entire issue is related to religious conversions by them in Chhattisgarh. All right-wing groups had decided to call for a bandh but a conspiracy was done and our members were put behind bars. So, slogans will be raised on the subject,” he was quoted as saying.
Another Bajrang Dal leader, Ravi Vadhwani, claimed the six men were arrested illegally and were not involved in the vandalism, media reports said. “In the videos that surfaced, the mob had their faces covered while vandalising the decorations. Those were members of Sara Samaj, not Bajrang Dal, as we never cover our faces,” he said, adding that the welcome was meant to boost the morale of men who had been associated with the organisation for over a decade.
The incident that led to the arrests occurred on Christmas Eve, when right-wing groups called for a day-long bandh across Chhattisgarh to protest alleged religious conversions in the state. A mob armed with wooden sticks barged into Magneto Mall, a popular shopping destination in the city, and vandalised Christmas decorations including figures of Santa Claus, reindeer, sleighs and snowmen. Security guards who attempted to intervene were overpowered.
An FIR was registered the same night at Telibandha police station against 30 to 40 unknown men under BNS sections 331(3), 324(2), 115(2), 191(2) and 190. These sections pertain to trespassing, intentionally causing damage or reducing the value of property to cause wrongful loss, causing hurt, rioting and unlawful assembly.
Following the arrests, approximately 300 Bajrang Dal workers staged a protest outside Telibandha police station, blocking traffic on a major arterial road for nearly nine hours. No FIR was registered in connection with this demonstration.
The Chhattisgarh bandh on December 24 had been called by the Sarva Hindu Samaj. According to reports, it was triggered by what is being portrayed as a recent clash between two communities in Kanker district of Bastar region over the burial of a person from a converted family but was reportedly a case of Christians being attacked and denied the dignity of burying their dead peacefully.
