The Raipur city police on Tuesday apprehended 29 men who were running naked on a road in front of passing cars carrying Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), demanding action against government employees who allegedly secured jobs through the use of fake caste certificates.
The individuals involved have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including those related to obscenity, rioting, and obstructing police from performing their duties.
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The incident took place during the opening day of the four-day monsoon session of the Assembly. As MLAs arrived at the Vidhan Sabha, the protesters brandished placards while running bare on the road. Their signs called for urgent measures to be taken against government officials who had allegedly obtained employment through fraudulent means.
The roots of this issue can be traced back to 2020 when a high-level committee was established to investigate the alleged use of fake caste certificates in securing government jobs between 2000 and 2020. This committee scrutinised caste certificates of 758 government officials and uncovered 267 instances of fraudulent documentation. In November 2020, the General Administration Department forwarded the committee’s report to the Additional Chief Secretary, urging appropriate action to be taken.
“We want the arrest of the 267 government servants who used fake certificates, and their assets to be seized. We resorted to a hunger strike earlier, but no action was taken. We are prepared to go to any lengths to bring attention to this matter,” a protester said before being taken into custody.