The Bhopal Police has booked Bajrang Dal leader Sushil Sudele along with 39 others for allegedly vandalising the set of a web series titled, Ashram 3, on Sunday.

Bajrang Dal activists allegedly barged into the area where filmmaker Prakash Jha-directed web series Ashram 3 was being shot. Jha’s face was smeared with ink but the filmmaker chose not to register any complaint.

RK Singh, Arera Hills SHO, later told India Today TV over the phone, “The filmmaker did not file a complaint but we have taken cognizance on our own and booked 40 people under various sections including 147, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code. Seven of these people, including Bajrang Dal state coordinator Sushil Sudele have been named in the FIR and four of the seven are already arrested.”

Confirming the development, Sudele said he was ready to face any action.

“Yes, I was at the site [of vandalism] on Sunday evening and I ensured that the situation did not go out of hand. Our workers were agitated over the motive behind the naming of the web series Ashram. Our demand still stays. We want the director to change the name from Ashram to something else as our religious sentiments have been hurt. If the director and producer of the web series do not change the name, we will be forced to take further action,” he told India Today TV.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has hit out at Jha with party spokespersons daring him and other film and web series makers to do the same with other faiths.