Video shows men beating up women in MP's Khargone district; 6 arrested, BJP-Congress trade charges

Khargone (MP): A video has surfaced on social media showing a group of men thrashing three women in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district over a land dispute, leading police to file a case and arrest six persons on Tuesday.

Latching on to the video, the ruling BJP alleged one of the attackers was a Congress office-bearer. The opposition party hit back, saying this was not an issue of party politics and those involved in the crime should be punished.

As the video made the rounds of social media platforms, police swung into action and arrested six persons in connection with the incident which stemmed from a land dispute in Karonda village, an official said.

In the viral video, a group of men is seen beating up three women with sticks, causing injuries to them. The women, said to be from the same family, are also seen throwing stones towards their attackers in retaliation.

Karhi police station in-charge Rajendra Barman said there was a land dispute between two groups involved in the incident over a piece of land.

Gajendra Thakur, a resident of Mhow town in the adjoining Indore district, had taken the land in question on lease, while the other group wanted to take its possession, he said.

On November 16, Thakur had complained that one Santosh Mewade and others removed a tube well motor from the plot and filled a well there with stones, the police officer said.

On Monday, when Thakur reached the spot with his associates to get the motor repaired, both the groups got into a verbal altercation which triggered a clash, Barman said.

The police official said Thakur and his associates, armed with sticks and guns, attacked three women from the rival group.

Five persons -- three women and two from the group supporting Thakur -- were injured in the attack. Following a complaint by one of the women, a case was registered and six persons were arrested, he said.

Meanwhile, state BJP spokesman Narendra Saluja, who shared the video of the incident on X, alleged Thakur was a Congress member.

Saluja asked, "When will (Congress leaders) Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Jitu Patwari (MPCC chief), Umang Singhar (Leader of Opposition in assembly) will tweet on this incident, when will Congress demand action against the culprits, when will Congress remove them from their posts and expel them from the party?" Reacting to Saluja's claims, Khargone district Congress president Ravi Naik said the issue was not related to party politics.

This was an issue of law and order and its responsibility of the BJP government to maintain peace, he said.

Naik claimed crimes against women were on the rise in the BJP-ruled state.

The Congress leader emphasised he was not aware if Thakur was a party member, but insisted that action should be taken against everyone involved in the crime.