The Pune police have arrested two persons, including a man who identified himself as a reporter, in two separate criminal cases that were registered over the high drama that prevailed at the Osho International Meditation Resort in Koregaon Park Wednesday. A group of ‘rebel’ Rajneesh followers had stormed into the resort premises on Wednesday following which the Koregaon Park police registered the cases that night.
The First Information Report (FIR) in the first case was registered on behalf of the management by Dhaneshkumar Joshi alias Swami Dhyanesh Bharti. Based on his complaint, the police booked around 120 ‘rebel’ followers of whom seven were identified by name. The police have invoked charges under IPC sections pertaining to unlawful assembly, rioting, voluntarily causing hurt, trespassing and intentional insult.
During the investigation of this case, the police arrested a man identified as a news channel reporter. “This person, claiming to be a reporter, was instigating the followers. He was also doing videography in spite of being asked not to. We are verifying his credentials as a media person,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Smartana Patil.
In the second offence, the police arrested Varun Rawal, 27, a native of Bhilai, who entered the resort premises along with the ‘rebel’ followers and created a ruckus as he went on a rampage and attacked police personnel. Police officials said their probe suggested that the man did not belong to either faction of followers. Rawal has been booked under charges related to attacking a public servant and intentional insult. DCP Patil said that Rawal too was placed under arrest and was remanded to police custody for one day.
The ruckus at the resort came a day after the resort management had allowed the ‘rebel’ group — which has been banned for years — to enter the premises wearing ‘mala’ or beaded rosary. On Tuesday, the management had clarified that the wearing of the ‘mala’ was allowed only for a day because of the intervention of the Pune police.
While the resort management alleged trespassing and violence by the ‘rebel’ group, the latter alleged use of excessive force and lathi-charge by the police at the behest of the management.
The police claimed that they resorted to the use of force only to control Rawal who, according to them, attacked police personnel before being overpowered and detained.
