Overview

• On July 24, Bajrang Dal activists assaulted eight men and two women from Howl Group outside the Indore Press Club, blackening victims’ faces during an attempted press conference
• The attackers accused the NGO members of conducting religious conversions in the forests of Dewas district, a charge the group denies as it says it provides education and health services
• A purported video of the assault surfaced online, intensifying scrutiny over vigilantism and conversion controversies in Madhya Pradesh
• Police Inspector Ajay Gurjar said senior officers are examining video footage and field evidence to verify the activists’ allegations and the victims’ backgrounds
• Indore Additional DCP Ramsanehi Mishra confirmed no formal complaint has been lodged even as authorities continue to protect the assaulted individuals and question all parties involved