BJP leader held for assaulting journalist

A BJP leader was on Friday arrested on charge of attempt to murder after he along with his aides assaulted a journalist in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district, police said.

Dhirendra Giri Goswami, who works with a digital media platform, was assaulted on Thursday night after he intervened when the accused were misbehaving with his friend’s wife, the journalist said.

The incident took place at Wood I-Land colony in the Amleshwar police station limits bordering Raipur, he said.

Based on a complaint lodged by Goswami, Monu Sahu, a member of Durg District Panchayat, and others were booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC, Durg Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Anant Kumar Sahu said.

Sahu was arrested on Friday and further investigations are on, Sahu said.

According to the complaint, Goswami, Daganiya area in Raipur, and his friend had gone to Wood I-Land colony to meet another friend, Ratnakar Rao Shinde.

They met Shinde at the entrance of the colony and proceeded towards his house when they spotted Sahu and 30-40 people near a temple, it said.