Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A protest broke out on Wednesday over the murder of trader Vijay Mewada, with members of several Hindu organisations demanding strict action against the suspects.
Under the banner of Sakal Hindu Samaj, members of Bajrang Dal and Hindu Utsav Samiti gathered at Roshanpura Square and marched towards the Chief Minister’s residence around 10am.
As police attempted to stop them, protesters broke through barricades and moved ahead, raising slogans. Anticipating unrest, a heavy police force had been deployed at the Polytechnic Square, where the crowd was eventually stopped.
Tensions escalated, leading to a confrontation between police and protesters. A large number of women also participated, demanding the imposition of the National Security Act (NSA) and strict punishment.
The protest disrupted traffic in the area, with long jams reported on several connecting roads around Polytechnic Square. Police diverted routes to manage the situation, causing inconvenience to commuters.
When protesters blocked the road and refused to disperse despite repeated appeals, police carried out a mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. Some people sustained minor injuries during the brief chaos. The situation was later brought under control.
Shyamla Hills police station in-charge Bhupendra Kaur Sandhu said around 20 protesters were detained and later released.
Prime suspect hurt, arrested
The prime suspect in the Vijay Mewada murder case, Asif alias Bom, was arrested on Wednesday after a brief encounter in the Samaspura forest area under Ratibad police station limits.
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team from Jahangirabad and Ashoka Garden police stations cordoned off the area. Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said the suspect opened fire when asked to surrender. During a 15-minute exchange, he was shot in the leg and apprehended.
A reward of Rs30,000 had been announced for his arrest. Police recovered a pistol along with live and empty cartridges from his possession. He has been admitted to Hamidia Hospital under tight security.
Earlier, two other suspects, Farman and Imran, were arrested in connection with the case. Police are now interrogating Asif about the source of weapons and his other activities. Vijay Mewada was stabbed to death by the suspect and his aides over a minor dispute in the Ashoka Garden area on Sunday night.
