Amid protest, cops in riot gear arrest Rajasthan candidate for slapping official

Rajasthan Independent candidate Naresh Meena was arrested today amid high drama for slapping an election official during bypolls in Tonk district on Wednesday. The arrest follows violent protests yesterday by hundreds of Meena’s supporters as the police tried to take him into custody; vehicles were set ablaze and stones were thrown, leading the cops to tear-gas the protesters.

Earlier today, supporters tried to prevent the police from taking Meena away by burning tyres on a road.

Naresh Meena has a total of 23 cases against him, of which action is still pending in five of them.

These are pre-existing cases against him. Today’s case is not included in the list.

Tensions flared in Samravata village late on Wednesday after police attempted to arrest Meena for assaulting Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Amit Chaudhary outside a polling booth where the official was overseeing election procedures. The attack was caught on camera.

As police attempted to arrest Meena, violence erupted, with rioters throwing stones at officers and setting vehicles on fire. Ajmer Range IG Om Prakash confirmed that at least 60 people have been arrested in connection with the unrest.

The aftermath left a trail of destruction in the village. Nearly 24 large vehicles and 48 motorcycles were put on fire, with significant damage to several homes. In response, Special Task Force (STF) units were deployed early Thursday morning to conduct search operations and restore order.

Tonk SP Vikas Sangwan explained the sequence of events, “In Samravata village, some people had boycotted voting. To address the issue, SDM, Tehsildar, Additional SP, and other officers visited the area. During this time, independent candidate Naresh Meena entered the polling station and physically assaulted the SDM. The Additional SP immediately restrained him. Action will be taken as per the law. Following our intervention, voting resumed peacefully.”
In his defence, Naresh Meena alleged that SDM Amit Chaudhary had previously assaulted locals. “The SDM had earlier beaten a woman in Hindoli, along with her husband and a teacher, and forced them to cast votes under threats of job loss. My supporters have been harassed since October 25; my campaign posters were torn down, and attempts were made to prevent people from voting for me,” Meena claimed.
As tensions remain high, security forces have been deployed in the area to prevent further violence, and investigations are underway to identify those responsible for last night’s chaos.
The Rajasthan Administrative Service officers’ association came out in support of the SDM and demanded Meena’s arrest.