Group accuses man of ‘lying about his religion’ to woman in Bhopal, ‘assaults’ him on camera; no FIR so far

The group, named Maa Bhawani Hindu, claimed that it detained the man and notified authorities, but accused the police of not taking action.

According to police, the incident took place under Chhola Mandir police station limits. The man, who sustained injuries to his face, had not filed a complaint as of Monday morning. Police also said the woman concerned submitted a written statement to the station, clarifying that she had faced no wrongdoing and that she did not wish to pursue any legal action. She described the man as an acquaintance and denied being coerced or harassed.

Police said further action from their side would depend on whether they receive any complaint regarding the matter and the verification of the videos that are being circulated.

Chhola Mandir station in-charge Saraswati Chauhan told The Indian Express that no FIR has been registered. “The woman has not come forward to register a case,” he said. Asked about the alleged assault seen in the video, Chauhan said, “There is no complaint by the youth, so we did not proceed with the case. Everyone has the freedom to file a complaint.”

Meanwhile, the president of Maa Bhawani Hindu said that they slapped the man because he “kept lying to us”.

Bhanu Hindu, the outfit’s president, said, “We tipped off the police after we caught the man. But there was pressure on the woman not to file a case.” On the alleged assault, he said, “He was not assaulted severely. When our members caught him, he kept lying to us. So, he was slapped.”