Raipur Police have arrested 75-year-old Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, for allegedly posting an objectionable comment on social media that police said hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.
Pannalal was arrested late Friday night after BJP spokesperson Amit Chimnani filed a complaint at the Civil Lines police station. The complainant submitted screenshots and URLs of the Facebook posts and comments to the police.
Police said the case relates to comments posted on a Facebook thread started by Hansraj Goyal, who is also named as an accused in the case.
FIR Over Alleged Derogatory Posts
According to the FIR, Goyal allegedly made remarks on Facebook questioning Hindu religious beliefs and referring to several Hindu deities, including Lord Shiva, Ram, Krishna, Vishnu, Hanuman, Indra, Brahma and Ganesh.
Pannalal later allegedly posted a comment on Goyal’s post that police described as “highly objectionable”.
Chimnani alleged that the posts and comments had hurt the sentiments of followers of Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma. He further alleged that the comments were intended to promote hatred and create enmity between communities and could disturb public peace.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case against both men.
The accused have been booked under Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with another provision cited by police and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
Police said efforts were underway to trace Goyal and that further investigation was in progress.
Pannalal Has Raised Issues of Christian Community
Pannalal has been associated with the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, an organisation established in 1995 that has raised issues concerning the state’s Christian minority, including allegations of persecution, social advocacy and inter-community relations.
He has also publicly raised concerns about incidents involving Christians in Chhattisgarh.
Pannalal is associated with the political outfit Sarva Adi Dal, which contested the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but did not win.
Bajrang Dal Protest Outside His House
Following the arrest, Bajrang Dal workers and leaders reportedly gathered outside Pannalal’s residence in Raipur on Friday night to protest over the alleged social media comment.
Police deployed additional personnel in the area during the protest to prevent any escalation.
The arrest comes amid heightened sensitivity around alleged offensive social media content concerning religious beliefs in the state. Police said the investigation will examine the posts, comments and circumstances surrounding their publication.
