Raipur:
Amit Baghel, the state president of the Chhattisgarh Kranti Sena, was arrested by the Devendra Nagar police on Friday after being absconding for 26 days in a case related to objectionable public statements.
Baghel was produced before a court, which sent him to three days of police remand. He was granted a brief custody period to perform his motherโs last rites before the remand began. Baghelโs mother passed away on Friday, and her body was taken to their ancestral village, Pathri, for the funeral.
Police claimed they arrested Baghel about 20 metres before he reached the police station to surrender, using mild force to take him into custody. His supporters, however, protested, saying it was a surrender, not an arrest.
Soon after the arrest, Baghelโs supporters blocked the Amapara G Road for nearly two hours, causing inconvenience to commuters. Police intervened and cleared one side of the road, also ensuring an ambulance was given safe passage during the blockade.
Supreme Court denied anticipatory bail
Baghel had been evading arrest for around 26 days in connection with multiple cases filed across 12 states for his controversial comments.
The Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on 26 November, strongly reprimanding him during the hearing. The court instructed him to control his language and face legal action in all states where FIRs were registered. It clarified that no relief would be granted, saying the law must take its course.
The apex court also refused to interfere with his request to club the FIRs, stating on 24 November that police would take him to various states, remarking that he should โenjoy the tour of the entire country.โ
Context of the controversial remarks
Baghelโs comments came on 27 October, following an incident of vandalism at the statue of โChhattisgarh Mahtariโ at VIP Chowk in Raipur. During a protest, Baghel allegedly made derogatory remarks about Agrasen Maharaj and the Sindhi communityโs deity Jhulelal.
These comments triggered widespread outrage among the Agarwal and Sindhi communities, leading to protests and multiple FIRs, including one at the City Kotwali police station in Raipur.
The vandalism incident occurred on 26 October 2025, when an accusedโlater arrested near Ram Mandirโhad allegedly damaged the statue while intoxicated. Police said the accused was mentally unstable. The damaged statue of Chhattisgarh Mahtari was promptly re-installed.
Security heightened
A heavy police presence was deployed outside the court premises, with barricades and increased surveillance ahead of the proceedings. Security was also tightened near Devendra Nagar police station and Azad Chowk, where a large crowd of Baghelโs supporters had gathered.
