Jain Community To Stage Protest On May 24 After Death Of Two Sadhvis In Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Jain community will hold protests on Monday following death of two sadhvis and critical injuries sustained by another in a road accident in Rewa.

The community members from across India have expressed grief and outrage over the incident that went viral on social media.

The community has announced a series of peaceful demonstrations on May 25 to demand justice and better safety measures for Jain ascetics. The accident occurred on May 20 morning near collectorate in Rewa's Civil Lines area. Three Jain sadhvis who were on a religious foot journey were allegedly mowed down by a speeding car.

Shrutmati Mata, a native of Sagar district and disciple of Acharya Shri Vidyasagar Ji Maharaj, died on the spot. The other two sadhvis, identified as Upsamiti Mata from Tamil Nadu and Arika Mata from Jabalpur, received critical injuries and were rushed to hospital. One was placed on ventilator support while the other succumbed to injuries.

The driver Rashid Ali Shah fled with his family but was later intercepted by police near Jabalpur after a high-speed chase covering nearly 270 km. Video footage that surfaced on various media platforms showed the car swerving from the centre of the road and moving directly towards the sadhvis, who were walking along the edge of the road.