Bajrang Dal leader Sushil Sudele, a murder convict out on bail since 2015, and six others got bail within 24 hours after their arrest for allegedly vandalising the sets of web series Ashram 3 on October 24.
Sudele and six others created ruckus on the sets and smeared ink on filmmaker Prakash Jha. They also roughed up crew members while seeking the change of the name of the series. The mob chased the crew. Jha did not file any complaint. But Bhopal Police registered a case on its own and booked seven including Sudele, Jeevan Sharma, Abhijeet, Dilip, Karan, Shrawan Batham, and Sunil Soni under section 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code. All the sections are bailable.
Deputy inspector general Irshad Wali said, “Sudele and six accused got bail on October 26… as per Supreme Court order under which the bail should be given to the accused booked under offences for which prescribed punishment is seven years or less.”
A Bhopal court in 2014 sentenced Sudele to 14-year imprisonment for conspiracy in the murder of travel agency owner Bhagchand. According to the charge sheet, Sudele extorted money and Bhagchand exposed him in 2011. On February 5, 2011, Sudele, another Bajrang Dal leader Rajkumar Chaurasiya and four others attacked Bhagchand with canes and rods. Bhagchand succumbed to his injuries four days later. In September 2015, Sudele and Rajkumar were released on bail.
The opposition Congress accused the state government of patronising the goons and criminals. “Why police did not seek cancellation of his bail. Police registered the case under the weaker section. These Bajrang Dal goons have the clear support of home minister Narottam Mishra and police,” said Congress leader JP Dhanopia. “This incident cleared all the doubts.”
Mishra supported the attack and said the filmmaker should change the name of the series. He said the government will introduce a law for filmmakers mandating prior permission for scripts on controversial topics.
Despite repeated attempts, Mishra could not be contacted for his comments.
BJP leader Rajneesh Agrawal said, “It is a matter of law. The efforts of police should be appreciated for taking suo moto action but Congress leaders have now made this a habit to target government and police without any reason.”
Sudele said after he got bail in 2015, he was never booked for any other case. “Even on October 24, it was Bajrang Dal activists who lost control after some bouncers misbehaved with them. I was not present at the time when an activist threw ink and vandalised the sets. I went there to give a statement to the media. I did not have any direct connection to this case so there is no reason for cancelling my bail.”
Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata party’s ideological fountainhead.