RSS worker injured in clash dies in Madhya Pradesh, 24 arrested

The Madhya Pradesh Police have arrested 24 people after the death of a worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Khandwa district, 271 kilometres south west of capital Bhopal. The 28-year-old succumbed to his injuries sustained in a clash on May 28, in a hospital in Indore on Sunday, said the police.

According to police, all the accused in the case have been arrested and sent to jail.

The worker has been identified as Rajesh Phulmali, a resident of village Hapla Deepla. Additional Superintendent of Police Seema Alawa claimed that Phulmali had posted a message on social media which led to a clash with members of another community.

She said people from both the groups sustained injuries in the violence. “The deceased was working for the RSS. Since he had sustained serious injuries he was referred to Indore where he died on Sunday. FIRs had been lodged from both the sides,” she said.

Alawa said the accused were booked under sections 147, 148, 188 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides relevant sections of Disaster Management Act. After Phulmali’s death, Section 302 of IPC was added to the FIR.

Superintendent of Police, Khandwa, Vivek Singh said, “It was not a case of mob lynching. The both sides were engaged in feuds for a long time. A heavy police force has been deployed in the village and the situation is under control.”