Twenty-eight people,accused of murder and attempt to murder,were paraded through the streets of Raipur on Friday afternoon. Police said the purpose was to instill fear among culprits and restore public confidence. The accused,in handcuffs,ranged from teenagers to middle-aged persons. Some had bandages on their heads and arms,many were bare feet. They were all arrested on Friday morning for the murder of a person in a recent clash between two groups in Raipur. Around noon,the police called up mediapersons. The original plan was to take the accused to the murder spot and beat them up in public. But the parade was cut short as they had to be produced in court. At around 3 pm,the 28 accused,escorted by the police,were made to walk from the Teli Bandha police station,through the busy Gaurav Path in the heart of the city. The police made them stop along the way to pose for photos,instructing them to stand in proper lines as they addressed the media. The 40-minute parade finally came to a halt about a kilometre from the Chief Ministers residence. It was around 4 pm by then,and the accused were bundled into a vehicle and taken to court. When contacted,Teli Bandha thana in-charge Rakesh Baghel said,We did not have any vehicle,hence they were made to walk. However,several police vehicles were present.
