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'Surround the police, block traffic': Dramatic arrest of Rajasthan candidate who slapped SDM | WATCH

Naresh Meena, the independent candidate in Wednesday's by-election for Rajasthan's Deoli-Uniara Assembly seat who slapped an election official on camera before voting, was arrested Thursday amid high drama.

Reported by:  PTC News Desk  Edited by:  Shgun S -- November 14th 2024 03:48 PM
'Surround the police, block traffic': Dramatic arrest of Rajasthan candidate who slapped SDM | WATCH

'Surround the police, block traffic': Dramatic arrest of Rajasthan candidate who slapped SDM | WATCH

PTC News Desk: Naresh Meena, the independent candidate in Wednesday's by-election for Rajasthan's Deoli-Uniara Assembly seat who slapped an election official on camera before voting, was arrested Thursday amid high drama.

He was arrested during a "strategic" operation by a massive police force that comprised senior officers and cops wearing full riot gear. Minutes before getting stopped and arrested, Meena told reporters, "I will not surrender" and urged his supporters to "surround the police... jam traffic".


Videos show dozens of cops walking down a rural road, practically all holding lathis and shields and wearing protective vests and helmets. Police cars and an anti-riot vehicle were also spotted. "We will approach strategically... we will request him to surrender and not take the law into his own hands," Vikas Sangwan, Superintendent of Police in Tonk district said earlier.

However, Meena's arrest sparked more violent protests from supporters, who gathered to block the highway outside the village of Samravata, where the 'slap-gate' incident occurred.

A viral video showed Meena walking into the booth, taking Sub-Divisional Magistrate Amit Choudhary's collar, and hitting his head. He struck two blows before cops captured him.

Meena claimed Choudhary conspired to add three more votes at that booth.

"My plan was to visit every booth... but I found that the entire administration was trying to ensure the BJP candidate would win. People were being forced to vote," he claimed, "and when I questioned who was forcing them, they answered the SDM. Yes, I hit him, but it was because he had done something wrong."

The police, however, had a different story; SP Sangwan stated, "Some people were boycotting the panchayat poll. The SDM and Tehsil officers went to persuade them, but during the negotiation, the independent candidate (Naresh Meena) slapped him."

- With inputs from agencies

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