After a video surfaced yesterday on social media where a man was seen urinating on a tribal youth in Madhya Pradesh, police have taken the accused into custody.
The accused has been identified as Pravesh Shukla, police said on Wednesday.
According to the Additional Superintendent of Police of Sidhi, Anjulata Patle, that the accused is being interrogated and further legal action will be taken soon.
While addressing the media, ASP Patle said, "We have taken the accused (Pravesh Shukla) into custody. He is under interrogation. Further legal action in the matter will be taken soon."
A case has been registered against the accused under sections 294, 504 of the Indian Penal Code and SC/ST Act.
Yesterday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ordered him to be booked under the National Security Act (NSA).
The police have registered a case over the incident in MP's Sidhi district. The accused has been identified as Pravesh Shukla.
The Opposition Congress said Shukla is associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but it could not be immediately confirmed and the BJP has denied the allegation.
"A viral video from Sidhi district has come to my notice. I have directed the administration to arrest the guilty and take the strictest action and invoke NSA," said Chouhan in a tweet in Hindi, referring to the National Security Act (NSA).
An official from the Chief Minister's Office told PTI that a case was registered against the accused, identified as Pravesh Shukla, at Bahari police station under Indian Penal Code sections 294 (obscene acts), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Action against the stringent NSA was also initiated, said the official.
In a statement in Hindi on Twitter, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath said such an act has no place in the civilised world.
Nath further said that the accused is said to be a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Noting that MP has the highest crimes against tribals, he said this particular act has shamed the entire state.
Nath said, "It is being alleged that the man who urinated is from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Madhya Pradesh is already number one in atrocities against tribals. This act has shamed the entire state. I demand the Chief Minister to give strictest punishment and end the atrocities against tribals in Madhya Pradesh."
MP BJP media in-charge Ashish Agarwal tweeted that the accused, identified as Pravesh Shukla, is not a member of BJP.
PTI reported that some social media posts claimed that Shukla was a representative of Kedarnath Shukla, BJP MLA from Sidhi, adding that the MLA could not be contacted for his comment despite several attempts.
Pawan Khera, chairman of the Congress's Media and Publicity Department, shared the video along with a picture of a banner on which the accused was described as `Vidhayak Pratinidhi Sidhi', which means the representative of the MLA.
"In the 21st century, tribals in our country are being treated in this inhuman manner and we are dreaming of being 'Vishwa guru'. What can be more shameful than this?" tweeted Khera in Hindi.
