Chhattisgarh: Local BJP leader, aides assault journalist; arrested

Durg: A local BJP leader was on Friday arrested on the charge of attempt to murder after he, along with his aides, allegedly 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 allegedly misbehaving with his friend's wife, an official said

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

Based on a complaint lodged by Goswami, Monu Sahu, a member of Durg Zilla 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 in the early hours of Friday and further investigations are underway, he said.

As per the complaint, Goswami, a native of Daganiya area in Raipur, and his friend had gone to Wood I-Land colony to meet another friend Ratnakar Rao Shinde, who stays there, the FIR stated.

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

Goswami has alleged that Sahu and people in the crowd were misbehaving with Shinde's wife and when the trio intervened, they started thrashing them.

Some unidentified person hit Goswami on his head with a sharp-edged weapon and injured him, it was stated.