Balasore, Dec 30 (PTI) Three people were arrested for assaulting two women over the allegation that they were attempting religious convervsion of some tribal families in Odisha’s Balasore district, police said on Monday.
Two cases have been filed at Remuna police station in this regard and police arrested three people on Sunday. The police action came after a video went viral showing two women being tied to a tree and assaulted in full public view for allegedly undertaking forced conversion of some tribal families at Gobardhanpur village on Thursday.
Police had rescued the two women, said Subash Chandra Mallick, the officer-in-charge of the Remuna police station.
“So far, three people have been arrested. We are taking stringent action and ensuring that there is no law and order situation in the area,” Balasore SP Raj Prasad told reporters.
He said that a case and another countercase have been filed at Remuna Police Station.
The accused in the tying of the women to the tree case were booked under relevant sections of the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and BNS while another case was registered against the two women under Section 4 of the Odisha Freedom of Religion Act, 1967, and sections 299 (deliberate and malicious insult of a religion), 3(5) (joint criminal liability), and 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) of BNS, police said.
The SP said the police have issued notices to seven people in separate cases and a senior officer is investigating the matter.
DIG, Eastern Range, Balasore in a post on X said: “Remuna PS Case No 223/24 has been registered in connection with the atrocity committed against two women. Three accused individuals have been arrested and forwarded to court. Further investigation is underway, and stringent measures will be taken against the culprits.” PTI COR AAM AAM RG
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