NO ARRESTS IN SWAMY AGNIVESH ATTACK YET

79-year-old activist alleges incident a conspiracy of Jharkhand govt

A day after the mob attack on Swami Agnivesh in Jharkhand, no arrests were made by the police yet, as the social activist alleged on Wednesday that the incident was a "pre-planned conspiracy" of the BJP government in the state. The 79-year-old activist also demanded an inquiry by a sitting judge of the Jharkhand High Court.

Agnivesh, who was attacked in Pakur town on Tuesday by a mob, which, he said belonged to BJP-affiliated youth groups, meanwhile, said he failed to get an audience with Governor Draupadi Murmu on Wednesday. He later returned to Delhi.

The attack also echoed in the state Assembly.

The Opposition parties staged a noisy protest, forcing adjournment of the House twice. Leader of the Opposition Hemant Soren demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

Superintendent of Police Shailendra Prasad Burnwal said no arrests were made in the case yet, reports PTI.

Some people were detained in this regard but were released later as their involvement in the incident was not established during interrogation, he added.

Police said an FIR was lodged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code(IPC), including 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 307 (attempt to murder), and the Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The FIR was registered against 100 persons, out of whom eight are named, police

said. "The fact that some people were detained in connection with the incident and later released shows that it is nothing but a 'natak' (drama)...the attack on me was pre-planned," Agnivesh maintained.

"It was a pre-planned conspiracy of the State government," he alleged while talking to reporters in Ranchi.

The Arya Samaj scholar expressed reservations over the state government instituting a probe by DIG, and instead demanded an inquiry by a sitting judge of the Jharkhand High Court.

On his plan to meet the Governor, Agnivesh claimed his appointment was cancelled without any reason.

Raj Bhawan sources, however, said the Pakur incident and the subsequent assertions

by the activist against the state government were not behind the cancellation of Agnivesh's appointment.

"An appointment with the Governor was sought on Tuesday afternoon over telephone which was accepted, but seeing pressing prior engagements of the Governor, it was cancelled last afternoon itself and conveyed to them," sources in the Raj Bhawan said on the condition of anonymity.