Police in Raipur have registered a case against unidentified individuals after Christmas decorations were vandalised at a shopping complex in the city, officials said on Thursday. The incident took place at Magneto Mall during a day long shutdown observed across parts of Chhattisgarh.
According to police, CCTV footage from the premises showed a group of around 30 to 40 masked men entering the mall carrying sticks and damaging property. The vandalism occurred on Wednesday while the mall was officially closed in support of the bandh, which had been called by certain Hindu organisations to protest alleged religious conversions.
Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Lal Umed Singh said a case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for offences including unlawful assembly, rioting, mischief, and voluntarily causing hurt. He added that some of the suspects have been identified and that police are recording statements from eyewitnesses and those believed to be involved.
Mall management stated that the group was aggressive, alleging that the individuals ran through the premises with rods and hockey sticks, damaging Christmas decorations both inside and outside the complex. Videos of the incident later circulated widely on social media, showing slogans being raised and a Christmas tree being vandalised.
The shutdown itself followed a recent clash in Kanker district related to the burial of a member of a Christian family. Officials said the bandh received a mixed response across the state, with normal life disrupted in several cities while only partial impact was reported in others. Police have said investigations are ongoing and assured that strict action will be taken once responsibility is established.
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