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Two horrific incidents were recently reported from two different places in Jharkhand. In the first a Muslim man, said to be mentally challenged was attacked and sustained serious injuries, in the second incident reported, an Adivasi man was beaten to death.

According to Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha’s social media posts, the Muslim man identified as 22-year-old Md. Adil, who is said to be mentally challenged, was brutally beaten up on November 28, when he wandered into a neighbouring village in the Idgah Mohalla in Simdega by mistake. The attackers allegedly threw his cap on the ground and pulled his beard. Adil was then beaten and could barely talk as he recalled that a group of men had attacked him in the area known as Thakur Toli. He sustained injuries to his head.

This Muslim man was attacked by a Hindutva mob while on the way to his mosque in Jharkhand, India - yesterday. pic.twitter.com/MA7RVspQxh

— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) December 1, 2021

On 28 Nov, Simdega's mentally challenged youth Md. Adil was brutally beaten by a group of men when he wandered into a neighbouring village by mistake. His cap was thrown into the ground and his beard was pulled. 1/n @HemantSorenJMM @ChampaiSoren @asrpmukeshTOI @MahtabNama pic.twitter.com/JffQo0UHdJ

— Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (@JharkhandJanad1) December 2, 2021

According to the JJM, Adil’s father has named the culprits in his police complaint and a case has been registered. He is recuperating at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi. The matter surfaced only on Thursday evening after Mahasabha members shared the details on Twitter and tagged the chief minister and Jharkhand police.

Adil’s brother Yusuf Ansari told The Telegraph that on November 28, his brother had discontinued his medicine, and on the fateful day had gone for evening namaz at the nearby mosque. He said, “He (Adil) had gone to the nearby Prince Chowk and had somehow meandered into the neighbouring Thakur Toli, around 2.5km from our locality. We started searching for him when he did not return till 7 P.M. My elder brother got a photo shared in the WhatsApp group which showed our brother looking frightened and being held by someone. We suspected something and went to the neighbouring locality.” 

The family learnt that Adil was beaten up by local youths and the police had taken him to Simdega Sadar Hospital. Yusuf recalled that, “Simdega hospital referred him to RIMS Ranchi after seeing the serious injury on his head. Though RIMS doctors have declared him out of danger, he is still in the hospital. My father had lodged an FIR against three persons and also FIR against several unidentified persons. So far only one Rohit Singh has been arrested.” 

Simdega SP Shams Tabrez however, refused to term the incident as religion-based mob-lynching and told the media that the police “received a complaint from a local scribe residing in Thakur Toli that Adil, who was suffering from mental illness, had tried to enter some houses but could not speak anything when asked. He was beaten up by some youths of the locality for trespassing but there was no communal angle behind the beating. We are investigating the case and one person has been arrested. More arrests will take place during the course of investigation.” 

Tribal beaten to death

Another horrific incident from the state was reported by The Telegraph, where a 35-year-old Adivasi man identified as Sunil Pasi was beaten up by villagers in Khetko under Bagodar police station area of Giridih district. According to the news report, the attackers suspected Pasi “of being a cattle thief” and had kept him hostage on Thursday night. The Bagodar police were informed on Friday morning and then an injured Pasi was taken to Bagodar Community Health Centre. There, the doctor declared him dead.

Shabad Ansari, a high court lawyer and member of Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha told mediapersons, "It is unfortunate that incidents of mob justice and lynching over religion and caste are taking place in Jharkhand. We want the government to take stern action, arrest all culprits and ensure a complete stop on such incidents.”

In Giridih, detailed the TT, a few thieves had tried to enter the house of one Dashrath Mahato in Khetko village on Thursday night, but they escaped when an alarm was raised. However, villagers caught Pasi and beat him up badly, kept him hostage and told the police on Friday morning. According to Bagodar-Sariya sub-divisional police officer Naushad Alam, police reached the spot and rushed a critically injured Pasi to the hospital where he was declared brought dead. A case has been lodged against 14 persons and six have been arrested so far.

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