After a woman constable was assaulted during Chhattisgarh coal protests, police arrested the main accused and paraded him publicly with a slipper garland.
In Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, authorities have taken swift and controversial action after a viral video showed a woman police constable being assaulted and her uniform torn during violent protests against the Gare Pelma Sector-1 coal project in the Tamnar block. The December 27 clashes erupted when villagers from around 14 local communities, opposed to proposed mining, pushed past police barricades, leading to violent exchanges with law enforcement.
The critical piece of footage that ignited widespread outrage online shows a woman constable surrounded by a group of men as they tear at her clothes while she pleads for mercy. The disturbing content went viral on January 1, prompting swift response from authorities. Police said several officers—including a woman inspector, Kamla Pusham- were assaulted during the unrest, and vehicles were set on fire in the chaotic protest.
On January 5, police arrested the main accused, identified as Chitrasen Sahu, along with six others in connection with the attack. In a dramatic move intended to send a strong message, the Chhattisgarh Police publicly paraded Sahu with his face blackened and a garland of slippers around his neck- a symbolic gesture meant to shame him for his actions. He was escorted to court under heavy police guard, at times made to do sit-ups and chant slogans such as “Police hamari baap hai” and “Vardi phaadna paap hai” (“Police are our parents; tearing the uniform is a sin”).
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The incident has sparked intense debates online and within civil rights circles. Supporters of the police action argue that the strong response reflects zero tolerance for attacks on women in uniform and reinforces respect for law enforcement. Critics, however, question whether a public procession involving physical humiliation is appropriate and raises human rights concerns.
Police have lodged multiple FIRs under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act, as investigations continue to identify and apprehend additional suspects involved in the protest violence. As the legal process unfolds, the case has spotlighted underlying tensions over mining projects, environmental concerns, and rural unrest in parts of Chhattisgarh.
