Maharashtra police have taken Kalicharan Maharaj, who was arrested for ‘disrespectful comments on Mahatma Gandhi’, to Maharashtra on transit remand from Chhattisgarh police on 5 January 2022. He will be first taken to Pune and then to Thane on Thursday, where he will be presented before a court in a case booked against him for criticizing Mahatma Gandhi. On 30 December 2021, Hindu religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj, who is well known for his famous reciting of Shiv Tandav Stotra, was arrested by the Chhattisgarh police from Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. When arrested, he was at Wagheshwar Dham.
Kalicharan Maharaj is now taken to Pune by the Maharashtra police who had sought his transit remand to the Chhattisgarh police. A team of Pune police was stuck in Raipur for two days. The team had sought transit remand of Kalicharan Maharaj in front of the District and Sessions Court. Their request stated that the accused has been booked under serious charges in Maharashtra as well. For interrogation, it is necessary to take him into custody. The court accepted the remand application of the Maharashtra police on 4 January 2022. Maharashtra police, after receiving the order from the court, presented the same to the Raipur central jail and took the transit remand of Kalicharan Maharaj.
Maharashtra police team that constituted of eight members had arrived at Raipur on Sunday. The team first applied before the court for the transit remand on Monday, but the application was dismissed. On Tuesday, the team applied again, responding to which the court has granted them custody. The order also says that Maharashtra police must present Kalicharan Maharaj back in front of the Raipur court before 13 January 2022.
Violation of Protocols while arresting from BJP ruled MP
While the team of Maharashtra police has left Raipur and headed towards Pune, the promptness in following the protocols shown by the police departments of both the states is a reason to raise the eyebrows. It is noted that when the Chhattisgarh police arrested Kalicharan Maharaj, the MP government had alleged that they were not given prior informed about the arrest and hence it is a violation of the protocol. The government of Madhya Pradesh had stated that the arrest of Kalicharan Maharaj from Khajuraho by the Chhattisgarh police was in violation of interstate protocols. Madhya Pradesh DGP was instructed to raise an objection to his Chhattisgarh counterpart on this matter.
#WATCH Raipur Police arrests Kalicharan Maharaj from Madhya Pradesh’s Khajuraho for alleged inflammatory speech derogating Mahatma Gandhi
— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2021
(Video source: Police) pic.twitter.com/xP8oaQaR7G
Prompt compliance when it comes to Congress ruled Maharashtra
In sharp contrast with what happened with the arrest in MP, the Raipur police extended full support and stood by the protocols when it came to deal with the police of another congress ruled state Maharashtra. In order to ensure zero trouble to the Maharashtra police team, the Raipur police had sent two special follow teams up to the border between the two states.
It is noted that the NCP leader and Housing Minister of Maharashtra, Jitendra Awhad had filed a case against Kalicharan Maharaj for criticizing Mahatma Gandhi. Kalicharan Maharaj had made the alleged statements in a Dharm Sansad in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on 26 December 2021. In his comments, Kalicharan Maharaj criticized Gandhi for India’s partition and hailed Nathuram Godse for killing Gandhi. After the video of his speech went viral, Jitendra Awhad approached Naupada police and filed a complaint against Kalicharan Maharaj. A case was filed based on the complaint under Sections 294, 295A, 298, 505(2) and 506(2) of the Indian Penal Code.
