Four BJP office bearers were arrested by the Raipur police on Saturday for allegedly assaulting a journalist inside the party’s office.

The arrests came after a case was registered against district president of BJP Rajeev Agarwal, a local leader Vijay Vyas, Utkarsh Trivedi and Deena Dongre.

A protest was staged by the journalists inside the BJP office demanding the arrest of the four accused.

Journalist Suman Pandey said he had gone to cover a meeting the BJP had called to review their defeat in Raipur city in recent assembly elections. The meeting was attended by several local leaders, including Raipur BJP president, said Pandey.

“I went to cover the meeting and suddenly some BJP leaders started manhandling another leader which I started recording on my mobile phone. Subsequently, Utkarash Trivedi and Raipur president of BJP Rajeev Agarwal attacked me and started beating me. They snatched my mobile and deleted the recording and kept me in a room for about 20 minutes,” he said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Suman Pandey who sustained minor injuries then protested along with other journalists inside the BJP office.

“We have registered a case under section 342, 323, and 504 of Indian Penal Code on the complaint of Suman Pandey and investigation in the case is going on,” said additional superintendent of police (ASP), Raipur, Prafull Kumar Thakur.

Senior BJP leader and party spokesperson Sacchinand Upansane, who was also present in the meeting, on the other hand, refuted the allegations and said that no one had beaten the journalist.

“It was a review meeting and only allowed for party workers. Even after that the journalist was present in the meeting and was recording on the phone. Some workers objected and told him to delete the recording. He was never beaten. It was a minor issue but our district president was booked by police,” said Upasane.