Rewa Hit And Run: The Jain community held massive demonstrations across Madhya Pradesh and other parts of the country in protest against the ‘hit-and-run’ incident that took place in Rewa on May 20. In this incident, two Jain Sadhvis were killed while the third Sadhvi was seriously injured. Organizations like Rashtriya Jain Governance and Ekta Sangh have strongly condemned the accident and called it a shocking attack on Jain sadhus.
The tragic incident took place near the collector’s office in Civil Lines area of Rewa, when a speeding car allegedly crushed three sadhvis. These sadhvis were walking on the side of the road as part of their religious pilgrimage. Sadhvi Shrutmati Mata of Sagar district died on the spot while another Sadhvi also succumbed to serious injuries. The third Sadhvi is battling between life and death in Rewa’s Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and is in critical condition with the help of a ventilator.
The accused driver has been identified as Rashid Ali Shah. The accused driver fled from the spot along with the car after the accident but was later arrested. The Jain community has raised serious doubts over the nature of this accident. Community leaders have claimed that the video footage clearly shows that the car deliberately veered from the middle of the road and hit the Sadhvis who were walking peacefully. This indicates that it may not be just an accident but a possible conspiracy.
He has demanded immediate registration of a murder case against the driver. The community has put forward several key demands, including formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a thorough and impartial investigation, all CCTV footage related to the incident be preserved and a fast-track court trial for crimes against the sadhus.
He also called for implementing the National Sadhu Safety Policy and creating strict protocols to ensure the safety of Jain monks (monks) and sadhus during their religious pilgrimages. Anger is increasing rapidly within the Jain community. The leaders have warned that if no concrete and immediate action is taken, they will launch Bharat Bandh and Jail Bharo agitation across the country.
Peaceful demonstrations have already started in many cities and major protests were held in places like Bhopal, Indore, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai on 25 May. Senior Jain monks and prominent personalities, including Rajya Sabha MP Naveen Jain, have expressed deep grief over the accident and appealed for justice.
The Madhya Pradesh government has assured strict action but the community continues to push for accountability and long-term measures for the safety of sadhus on public roads.