Following misbehaviour with two nuns and two girls who were travelling in the Utkal Express at the Jhansi railway station, two Hindutva activists, Anchal Adjariya and Purgesh Amariya, have been arrested by the Government Railway Police and sent to jail.
Government Railway Police CO NK Mansuri, on Friday, said that both the accused had been arrested late Thursday night and the duo had been sent to jail.
Workers of some organisations who were travelling by the Utkal Express on March 19 last had informed the GRP that two nuns were taking two girls with them. The workers suspected that the nuns were taking the girls for religious conversion.
Following the information, the GRP had made the four women alight the train at Jhansi station.
Meanwhile, Anchal Adjariya and several other people allegedly belonging to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students' wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, also reached the spot. After nearly four long hours of questioning, the women were released after the information of religious conversion proved to be false and they were sent to Rourkela by train.
Taking the entire matter seriously, the chief minister of Kerala had apprised Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the matter and demanded an inquiry into the misbehaviour with the nuns and girls and action against the accused. In connection with his letter, the Union home minister had ordered an investigation into the matter.
After this, SP (Railway) Saumitra Yadav was sent to Jhansi to investigate the matter. Finally, late Thursday night, the two Hindutva leaders were arrested after the turmoil in the GRP over the matter for 22 days. It may be mentioned that the statements of nuns Livia Thomas, Hemlata and Shweta and Beetrang who were traveling with them were recorded through video calling. Two-three days ago, after all the statements, the in-charge SP Saumitra Yadav completed the investigation and submitted the report to Lucknow. After completion of the investigation, the GRP started taking action as soon as the order came from Delhi on Thursday.