Bilaspur Violence: Main accused Ram Singh Thakur arrested from MP after hiding at Bageshwar Dham

Police have arrested Ram Singh Thakur, the main accused in the Khaparganj violence case in Bilaspur, from Panna district in Madhya Pradesh, officials said. He had been absconding for 28 days and was found hiding at the house of his friend, Dhirendra Patel, in Makri village.

According to police, investigators initially received information that Thakur had travelled towards Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. They later learned he had visited Bageshwar Dham, the ashram run by Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, before returning to Madhya Pradesh. Multiple police teams tracked his movements as his location changed, and he was eventually traced to Makri village following a specific tip-off received on Friday.

The case relates to a clash between two groups in Khaparganj over a longstanding dispute, which led to stone-pelting and left nine policemen injured. Sohail Khan, named as the main accused from the other group, was arrested earlier in the investigation. With Thakur’s arrest, the total number of people taken into custody in connection with the case has risen to 30.

Police said Thakur will be produced in court shortly. The investigation into his role in the violence, along with that of other accused persons still being questioned, is ongoing. Police have maintained a heightened presence in the Khaparganj area in the weeks following the incident as the probe continues.