Chief of the Johar Chhattisgarh Party, Amit Baghel, and other party members are facing a severe setback after Chhattisgarh High Court rejected their bail plea in the Baloda Bazar arson case.Amit Baghel, chief of the Johar Chhattisgarh Party, has been handed a major setback as the Chhattisgarh High Court rejected his bail plea in connection with the Baloda Bazar arson case.
Baloda Bazar Police apprehended Baghel for allegedly being involved in the violent incident and booked him under various sections of the Police Act in separate cases for the violence. He filed a motion for his release on bail in the lower court which was rejected, and later filed a petition in the High Court that was also rejected.
The Baloda Bazar incident occurred on June 10, 2024, in the wake of large-scale protests by members of Satnami community regarding the alleged vandalism of a sacred Jaitkham at Giroudpuri Dham on 15-16 May 2024. Police had arrested three people involved in the desecration, but many residents of the area had complained about the investigation and called for a probe by a court of law.
The situation worsened and thousands of people came out to protest near the collectorate at Baloda Bazar. Later the demonstration went out of hand, allegedly setting fire to the district collector’s office and the superintendent of police office. The damage to the government property was estimated to be around ₹12.53 crore.
In the aftermath of the violence, the administration set out on a crackdown, arresting 187 individuals in relation to 43 cases associated with the violence. This is one of the largest incidents of political and social violence in Chhattisgarh during the last few years.