Jain community seeks probe after 2 sadhvis die in Rewa hit-&-run

Nagpur: The Jain community in Nagpur took to the streets in a silent protest march, demanding a high-level investigation into the death of two Jain Sadhvis killed in a hit-and-run accident in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, on May 20.Organised by Shri Digambar Jain Parwar Mandir Trust and Sakal Jain Samaj, the rally began at the Parwarpura Mandir premises at 7am. The members of the Jain community, dressed in white with black armbands, observed complete silence in keeping with Jain principles of non-violence. Mobile phones and sloganeering were prohibited during the march. They marched to Badkas Chowk, where they submitted a memorandum, addressed to the chief minister, to MLA Pravin Datke on Monday.The protesters demanded an SIT or judicial inquiry into the Rewa incident, with the preservation of all CCTV and digital evidence, and criminal charges if a conspiracy angle is established. Beyond the immediate case, the community called for a national Sant Protection Protocol, covering police coordination, traffic management and safety measures on vihar routes, as well as a dedicated Sant Security Coordination Cell at the local administrative level.Jain Mandir Trust's secretary, Ashish Jain, told TOI, "We want to know if it is a conspiracy. If the person is found guilty, it should not be treated as an accident case. The accused should face criminal charges." He added that saints and seers, who guide society toward truth and non-violence, constitute an irreplaceable heritage that must be protected.The fatal accident occurred outside the Collectorate building in Rewa, where a car suddenly veered left onto the footpath and struck three sadhvis. Aryika Shri 105 Shrutmati Mataji and Aryika Shri 105 Upashammati Mataji, disciples of Acharya Shri 108 Vidyasagar Ji Maharaj, died in the incident.