V Day police action hurts 4 in MP

Bhopal, Feb 14 (UNI) Four workers of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were injured, one of them severely, after the police used mild force to bring a Valentine's Day-linked situation under control in Ratlam district headquarters.

The ABVP's Ratlam unit called a bandh tomorrow.

State Environment and Forests Minister Himmat Kothari visited the victims in the district hospital and ordered an inquiry.

More than 200 Valentine's Day-related arrests were executed across Madhya Pradesh and those apprehended owed allegiance to the Dharma Sena, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal, ABVP and certain other organisations.

At Ratlam, workers of the ABVP and a few other organisations attempted to forcibly marry off a pair of lovers but were stopped by the police.

In the afternoon, some ABVP workers reached the Station Road Police Station and demanded that Station House Officer Pratapsingh Ranawat furnish details of two ''missing'' workers. They alleged that the duo were detained.

An altercation ensued and the SHO allegedly slapped a worker.

Subsequently, ABVP workers crowded before the station and demanded action against the SHO and City Superintendent of Police Prem Singh.

A blockade was set up nearby and the police used force to disperse the agitators. The severely-hurt worker was identified as Ujwal Joshi.

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