Cow militia thrashed truck drivers in Bhiwani district, Haryana

For instance, in the Bhiwani, district of Haryana, a shocking case emerged on August 12, where members of Acharya Azad Singh Arya’s cow militia violently attacked two mini-truck drivers, Junaid and Nasir. The brutal assault was carried out under the pretext of transporting cattle. 

According to the statement of a relative, the vehicle had proper certificates, “We had proper licenses to transport cattle. I request the Rajasthan and Haryana government to look into the mob attack and ensure justice to Junaid and Nasir.”

Bhiwani, district has gained notoriety due to its history of cow vigilantes taking the law into their own hands, often with fatal consequences. Notably, the region experienced the terror reign of individuals like Monu Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi, with Monu Manesar facing accusations of killing two Muslims in the name of cow protection. 

Location: Nuh, Haryana

Acharya Azad Singh Arya’s cow militia unit thrashed a mini-truck driver for transporting cattle. pic.twitter.com/ACTwB0n3HS

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 13, 2023

(The incident actually took place at Bhiwani, Haryana)

An investigative piece in the August edition of The Caravan magazine by Harsh Mander has documented the disturbing growth of cow vigilante mobs and their operational methods. Mandar’s article explicitly points out that the rising communal tension in the Mewat region can be attributed primarily to the terrorising actions of cow vigilantes against Muslims.

Imam assaulted and blamed for alleged religious conversions in Meerut, UP

Adding to the distressing sequence of events, an incident in Meerut on August 12 involved the physical assault of an Imam over alleged conversion attempts. Although the audio in the video documenting the incident is unclear, it captures the assault on the Imam, including the involvement of a woman. The attackers are heard shouting, “We are Hindus. Why are you destroying our religion?”

Location: Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

Imam assaulted by a mob over allegations of religious conversion. pic.twitter.com/92YZca0nWa

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 13, 2023

Muslim man lynched over cattle theft in Assam

The unsettling trend of mob vigilantism targeting minorities continues in Assam, where a 40-year-old Muslim man, Hifzur Rahman, fell victim to a Hindu mob’s violent tendencies. On a fateful Saturday night in the Bamungaon area of Hojai’s Lanka on August 12, Rahman was lynched by the mob on suspicions of cattle theft. Despite the victim’s claims of innocence and proper legal procedures, he was assaulted by the crowd in the darkness of the night, leading to severe injuries. Later, police transported Rahman to a nearby hospital. Rahman, however, succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead despite all medical efforts. According to authorities, his body was transported for a post-mortem examination.

A 40-year-old #Muslim man, #HifzurRahman, was Lynched by a #Hindu mob on Saturday night over the suspicion of cattle theft in #Hojai, #Assam.

Sanjay Das, Nikhil Das, Tulendra Das, Uttam Chakraborty, Jayanta Chakraborty, and Sandhu Mazumdar were arrested. pic.twitter.com/5aHEpK0QSi

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) August 14, 2023

The incident prompted the victim’s family to report the heinous crime to the police, sparking an inquiry into the matter. Eight individuals were subsequently identified by the authorities as suspects in the lynching case. Six of these suspects, namely Sanjay Das, Nikhil Das, Tulendra Das, Uttam Chakraborty, Jayanta Chakraborty, and Sandhu Mazumdar, were apprehended and taken into custody. The gravity of the situation has raised concerns about the prevalence of mob and vigilante violence in the area. Legal actions are underway under Section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the arrested individuals.

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Christians attacked during prayers in national capital

The post How hate spills onto physical targeted attacks on the streets: August 2023, India appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has sought an action take report within 3 days from Rajasthan Police in the matter related to lynching of an Adivasi man. This has been done in relation to a complaint filed by CJP with the NCST on November 23, 2022. The NCST has sought the report from the Commissioner of Police, Jodhpur as well as the Director General of Police, Rajasthan.

CJP had written to NCST raising concerns over this incident where a 45-year-old tribal man from Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district died as he was assaulted by a group of people over drawing water from a tube well. As per the police, the family of the deceased alleged that the accused also abused the deceased man Kishanlal Bheel (46), from Bhomiyaji ki Ghati, with casteist slurs. The incident took place on November 6 in Soorsagar. The victim’s brother alleged that the accused prevented the victim’s family from taking him to the hospital as well and only after the police arrived was the family able to take Bheel to the hospital when he had lost his life. As per news reports, 3 accused, Shakeel, Nasir and Bablu have been arrested.

Through the complaint, CJP urged the Commission to closely monitor the case through the investigation and prosecution to ensure that substantive and exemplary justice is delivered.

Accordingly, the NCST, by invoking the constitutional provisions under Article 338A of the Constitution, has sought a report from Jodhpur CP and DGP of the state. The Commission has also put the Police to notice that if it does not receive a response within 3 days, it may exercise the powers of the Civil Court conferred on it under Article 338A of the Constitution and issue summons for personal appearance before the Commission.

The sub-clause 8 of the Article states thus,

(8) The Commission shall, while investigating any matter referred to in sub-clause (a) or inquiring into any complaint referred to in sub-clause (b) of clause (5), have all the powers of a civil court trying a suit and in particular in respect of the following matters, namely: —

(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him on oath;

(b) requiring the discovery and production of any document;

(c) receiving evidence on affidavits;

(d) requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office;

(e) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses and documents;

(f) any other matter which the President may, by rule, determine.

The complaint may be read here.

Related:

CJP MOVES NCST AGAINST ATTACK ON A TRIBAL MAN IN RAJASTHAN

FOREST CONSERVATION RULES VIOLATE FOREST RIGHTS ACT: REITERATES NCST

RIGHTSWATCH 2022: CJP’S PURSUIT TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS & DIGNITY

DEFENDING FOREST RIGHTS IN 2021

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A Muslim man, identified as Babur, was allegedly killed by his neighbours who were angry that he was a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The incident was reported from Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh, and the victim was a resident of Kathgarhi village under Ramkola Police Station. He was reportedly “distributing sweets” to celebrate BJP’s poll win when he was attacked on March 20.

According to a report in India Today, Babur was returning from his shop, and chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ which allegedly made his neighbours angry. They then allegedly thrashed Babur. According to the report, Babur’s wife Fatima told the police that her husband “ran to the roof of his house to save his life” but the accused people followed him and threw him off it. His mother, Zebunnisa, added the family took him to a local hospital, which referred him to the district hospital and then to Lucknow where he succumbed to his injuries. 

According to the news report Babur’s neighbours were allegedly angry that he was a BJP supporter, and on March 10 had distributed sweets in the locality, to celebrate the party’s victory. Babur family claimed that their neighbours had “repeatedly warned him about not supporting the BJP”, and that they [Babur’s family] had even approached the Ramkola Police Station to report that “Babur was threatened by their neighbours”.

The family told the media that claimed that the police did not take cognisance of their appeal, and the negligence led to Babur’s death. An FIR has been registered based on his wife Fatima’s complaint. Two persons have been arrested so far, they have been identified as Tahid and Arif.

#kushinagarpol थाना रामकोला ग्राम कठघरही में हुई घटना में संलिप्त अभियुक्तों में से 02 को किया गया गिरफ्तार। #uppolice pic.twitter.com/HFOoedXNMe

— Kushinagar Police (@kushinagarpol) March 28, 2022

Meanwhile the killing has been noted by the ruling BJP, and MLA PN Pathak met Babur’s family and assured them of justice, he also participated in his last rites. According to news reports  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath has directed that the police “take strict action” against the accused, adding that the government stands by  the bereaved family.

#UPCM श्री @myogiadityanath जी ने कुशीनगर के कठघरही गांव के श्री बाबर जी की लोगों द्वारा पिटाई से हुई मौत पर गहरा शोक व्यक्त किया है।

मुख्यमंत्री जी ने शोक संतप्त परिजनों के प्रति संवेदना व्यक्त की है।

उन्होंने मामले की गहनता से निष्पक्ष जांच हेतु अधिकारियों को निर्देश दिए हैं।

— CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) March 27, 2022

According to a report in India TV Danish Ansari, the sole Muslim Minister in Adityanath government, said the government will “soon announce a relief package for the family.” According to news reports, the negligence of the police as alleged by the family will also be investigated. Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Varun Kumar Pandey told the media that they were “informed that the victim had complained about death threats, but no action was taken then. An FIR has been registered. We are investigating the matter.”

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The post Damned if you do, damned if you don’t! Muslim man lynched for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in UP? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bangle seller Taslim Ali, will soon return home to his family after 115 days in jail, for a crime he says he never committed. The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court granted the bail to Taslim Ali, who was in jail on the charges of “sexually harassing a 13-year-old girl, and carrying two Aadhaar and voter identification cards”. His bail had been rejected by a sessions court on September 4.

Ali, hails from Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, and was arrested on August 23, in the Banganga area of Indore, Madhya Pradesh. A day earlier he had filed a complaint against half-a-dozen people accusing them of thrashing him and robbing around ₹10,000. However a complaint against Ali was filed on the same day. 

According to his lawyer Ehtesham Hashmi, the single-judge Bench of justice Sujoy Paul granted him bail on Tuesday after he furnished a bond of ₹50,000. The money was crowdfunded by local social workers, as Ali and his family are in financial distress. Advocate Hashmi, who is fighting the case pro-bono too, is a relieved man, he has closely seen what Ali’s family has been going through as the breadwinner has been in jail. “Ali got bail after 10 hearings. However, four people, who were arrested for allegedly thrashing him were granted bail in 30 days only,” said Hashmi, adding that Ali “has not committed any crime and was targeted due to his religion, and was bashed up mercilessly.” 

Ali, once released, will have to appear before the court during the hearing of the case. According to the lawyers the hearing of the bail petition at the High Court had been deferred at least nine times due to various reasons. Ali has been in custody since August 23, as per the bail order records he “while selling the bangles was abused, threatened and assaulted by certain hooligans on 23.08.2021. He lodged a report at the Police Station Banganga, Indore on 23.08.2021 at 13:45. As a counterblast, the person, who threatened the applicant have cooked up a story that applicant while selling the bangles has sexually assaulted a minor girl. As an afterthought, a cross F.I.R. was lodged on the same date i.e. 23.08.2021 at 6:00 pm.” In his rejoinder submission, Advocate Hashmi placed “photographs filed with the application” to prove that Ali had been “badly beaten by the hooligans.” 

Justice Sujoy Paul granted bail on personal bond of Rs.50,000, and a local surety of the same amount. Justice Paul in his order noted, “The nature of accusation is not such which leads to a conclusion that applicant should remain in custody till decision of the matter. No criminal antecedents of the applicant could be shown to this Court. There is no material to show that applicant was instrumental in threatening the persons / complainant etc.Considering the nature of accusation and in absence of any criminal record, I deem it proper to enlarge the applicant on bail. Accordingly, the bail application is allowed.”

The Case Background

A video clip of Tasleem being beaten up by a mob was widely circulated on social media. In the video, it can be seen that someone is tugging at the victim’s shirt and other men are emptying his bag full of bangles he meant to sell to find out what he is carrying in his bag. After discovering that the bags only contained multiple packs of bangles, the man calls out to women in the market and asks them to come and pick up as many bangles as they want. He also warned the victim not to come back to the area, or be seen in any Hindu locality from that day onwards. 

Throughout the video, other men continue to hit him and assault him. The youth is constantly joining his hands and begging them to let him go as the mob continues to threaten him and his religious identity. The men then started encouraging more and more people from the crowd gathered to hit the youth, and people even came up and beat him black and blue, kicking him, slapping him. The men are then seen pulling his pants looking for money and his ID card. One of the men can even be heard saying that don’t hit in a manner that would leave a mark or visible injury.

State Home Minister Narottam Mishra had also told reporters that the man was selling bangles to women by posing as a Hindu and eventually a case was registered against the young man, who was a victim of the mob assault.

Related:

CJP moves NCM over hate crimes against Muslims in Madhya Pradesh
Indore: Police file FIR against Muslim family that was attacked ‘for not leaving village’
Indore: Muslim bangle seller beaten by mob, denied bail in molestation case
Hate Watch: Muslim bangle seller thrashed, wares looted in Indore

The post Indore bench of MP High Court grants bail to bangle-seller Taslim Ali appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A Delhi court has granted bail to a Delhi riots accused as the court was not convinced that a Muslim man would join an unlawful assembly consisting of Hindus to beat up another Muslim man to death. The Additional Sessions Judge, Karkardooma, Vinod Yadav, while hearing the bail application, observed that the applicant, Aarif, was different from other co-accused persons in the case, namely Ajay @ Monu, Ashok Kumar, Shubham and Jitender whose bail application were already dismissed by the court.

The counsel for the applicant argued that he was falsely implicated and that there was an unexplained delay of 24 days in filing the FIR. The counsel submitted that a Muslim boy had lost his life in the matter and all the persons implicated in the matter are Hindus and it is quite appalling that a Muslim boy (i.e the applicant herein) shall become part of the “riotous mob” which mainly consisted of persons belonging to Hindu community. He further submitted that the eye witnesses presented by prosecution were planted witnesses. He further contended that the applicant was a “bonafide bystander” and he cannot be fastened with liability of riots with the aid of Section 149 IPC.

The prosecution contended that the applicant was part of the riotous mob and was found pelting stones while co-accused persons namely Shubham was found carrying a stick (palta) in his hand; Ajay @ Monu was found carrying a sword and Ashok was found carrying scissors tied in a stick and as such the riotous mob was armed with “deadly weapons”.

The court observed thus,

“The allegations against the applicant are that he was part/member of the “unlawful assembly”, the common object whereof was to cause maximum damage to the property, life and limb(s) of the members of other community. It is very obfuscatory that a muslim boy would become part of an “unlawful assembly” which mostly consisted of members of Hindu community, the common object whereof was to cause maximum damage to the property, life and limb(s) of the other community. So, prima facie, the applicant cannot be said to be part of “unlawful assembly” or share “common object” with them on the date of incident.”

The court also pointed out that the eyewitnesses did not spell out the role of the applicant in the unlawful assembly and that the applicant was not visible in any CCTV footage collected as evidence.

The court thus held that “it does not appeal to senses that applicant being a muslim would rub shoulder to shoulder in such a surcharged atmosphere with the members of “unlawful assembly”, which mainly consisted of the persons of Hindu community and would beat a muslim boy to death.”

The court decided to grant bail to the applicant as the investigation was complete and chargesheet had also been filed and since trial could take time “applicant cannot be made to incarcerate in jail for infinity merely on account of the fact that other persons who were part of the riotous mob have to be identified and arrested in the matter”.

Thus, the court granted bail on condition that the applicant furnishes a Personal Bond in the sum of Rs.20,000 with one surety in the like amount and also subject to the condition that he shall not tamper with the evidence or influence any witness in any manner, he shall maintain peace and harmony in the locality and that he shall appear before the Court on each and every date of hearing to attend the proceedings. The court also directed the applicant to furnish his mobile number to SHO, Dayalpur Police station and to keep it in working condition as also to install Aarogya Setu App.

The court clarified that anything stated in the order shall not be construed as expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, as the case is at “pre-cognizance/pre-committal stage”.

The order may be read here.

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Independent inquiry into the North East Delhi communal violence must be set up: CPI(M)
Delhi Police opposes bail granted to riot accused Jamia student to write exams

The post Delhi riots: Court grants bail to Muslim man accused of lynching fellow Muslim appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Earlier this year, soon after the national Covid-19 lockdown was imposed, a section of the Uttar Pradesh police claimed that crime in western UP had fallen by 70 per cent in April 2020, compared to the same period last year. This was stated by the UP Police’s Meerut Zone as reported in the Indian Express. The area police had stated that the region recorded 35 murders in that month against 50 in the corresponding period in 2019, while robberies went down from 992 to 114. There were 16 kidnappings and seven cases of rape in the area in April, 2020 against 110 and 34 last year. The police are reported to have attributed the fall to policing and lockdown restrictions.

It is now September, and the lockdown is slowly being lifted according to the Covid-19 situation in each state. However, major crimes, some heinous, continue to make it to the news from UP. Some are shared as viral videos and photographs.

According to a day old police report in IE, a 25-year-old identified as Aryaman Yadav was seen running around the terrace of a house and shooting in the air. He was overpowered by a group of villagers who thrashed him with sticks and stones. Aryaman died of the injuries sustained. According to news reports, in the videos of the lynching, policemen can be seen present at the spot. The mob beat this 25-year-old man to death after he allegedly shot dead a government school teacher at Rampur Bangra village in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday reported the IE. Eventually the local station house officer, Harendra Kumar Mishra, was suspended for negligence, stated the report.

According to police, Aryaman went to 35-year-old Sudhir Singh’s ancestral home at Rampur Bangra village in the morning and told Sudhir’s family that he had come from Gorakhpur and was a friend of Sudhir’s elder brother Rajesh Singh. The Singh family allowed him to come and asked him to wait in the drawing-room as Sudhir was taking a shower. “When Sudhir entered the drawing-room, Aryaman immediately pulled out a pistol and shot Sudhir in his chest. Sudhir died on the spot,” Circle Officer (Tamkuhiraj) Phool Chand Ram was quoted by IE. 

On hearing gunfire, some villagers rushed towards Sudhir’s residence, in an attempt to escape, Aryaman ran towards the terrace of Sudhir’s house, brandishing the gun and threatening to shoot. He also fired in the air twice. A police team, too, reached the spot and asked Aryaman to surrender, but he fired at the policemen, stated the report. According to police, Aryaman came down from the terrace and ran towards a room in Sudhir’s house when the villagers overpowered him and beat him to death. Sudhir was a government teacher at a primary school in the neighbouring Gopalganj district in Bihar. The Police is yet to ascertain the motive behind the murder. The investigation is on, they state.

Another video soon surfaced on social media that showed a man being thrashed mercilessly by another, while both are behind bars in a police cell. The incident is from Hapur.

#यूपी में एक और #लिंचिंग#हापुड़ – शराब के ठेके में बंद करके युवक पर बरसाई लाठियां।
यूपी में कानून कहां कोई पता करो !
@Uppolice @rohini_sgh @vinodkapri @abhisar_sharma @pankhuripathak @Ashok_Kashmir @juhiesingh @umashankarsingh @Benarasiyaa @ManojSinghKAKA @SanjayAzadSln pic.twitter.com/5FCQU0Zig5

— Prashant Shukla (प्रशान्त शुक्ल) (@JournoPrashant) September 7, 2020

Here, the police state that both the accused have been arrested, and  an NCR registered by police station Hapur. “Advance legal action is being taken,” they stated.

उक्त प्रकरण में थाना हापुड़ नगर पुलिस द्वारा एनसीआर पंजीकृत कर दोनों अभियुक्तों को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया है।
अग्रिम विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है।

— HAPUR POLICE (@hapurpolice) September 8, 2020

Seeking justice in the murder of his son, a Noida, UP resident Gulshan Kumar Kalra, seemed to have signed up on Twitter with a single focus this month, “Our beloved son Akshay Kalra was murdered just 100 meters away from our home in affluent Sector 62 Noida, ruining our family forever. This heinous act was perpetuated due to rising crime and incompetence @Uppolice,” he posted. The grieved father (sic) has voiced what many are afraid to say about UP’s crime graph rising faster than Covid-19 cases in the state. “We request everyone to fight #JusticeForAkshayKalra,” he added.

Our beloved son Akshay Kalra was murdered just 100 meters away from our home in affluent Sector 62 Noida, ruining our family forever. This heinous act was perpetuated due to rising crime and incompetence @Uppolice. We request everyone to fight #JusticeForAkshayKalra 1/2 pic.twitter.com/EtByISwT4y

— Gulshan Kumar Kalra (@Gulshan76571060) September 7, 2020

And the worst of the last two days is the case of the taxi driver who was attacked with a key, and allegedly asked to chant ‘Jai Sree Ram’. The dying man’s son recorded his last phone call home, where he did not speak, but the attackers could be heard. The 45-year-old cab driver was killed in Greater Noida, stated multiple news reports. His family alleged that it was a communal hate crime. However, the local police have denied that claim. According to news reports, the police have said that the victim, Aftab Alam, was found injured in his cab in Badalpur area in Greater Noida, following which he was admitted to a nearby hospital where he died during treatment.

A report in the Hindustan Times states that police confirmed Alam, who lived in Delhi’s Trilokpuri area, had first picked up a passenger from Gurgaon on Sunday night, through a ride hailing mobile application. The drop location was somewhere in Bulandshahr, and while returning he was attacked in Badalpur. “A patrolling vehicle that was passing by found the Delhi-registered taxi parked along the Badalpur-Dadri bypass road. When checked, the victim was found severely injured on the seat adjoining the driver’s seat. The police rushed him to a hospital where he died during treatment,” deputy commissioner of police, central Noida, Harish Chander said in a media statement. An FIR has been lodged at the Badalpur police station under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), the police said. They added they have identified the suspects and a search is on to arrest them.

However, Alam’s kin have alleged and told the media that he was lynched by three suspects after picking up the three passengers, “My father noticed something unusual with the activities of the three. He made a phone call to me and placed his mobile phone by the side without uttering a word. I recorded 41 minute audio. At 8:39 minutes, the three persons asked my father to utter – Jai Shri Ram,” alleged Sabir Mohammed, the slain driver’s son. The family contacted the Mayur Vihar police station and the police traced the call’s last location to Chithera village in Badalpur police station area in Greater Noida. Eventually, the family reached the location, then the hospital to discover that the cab driver was dead. “We suspect he was lynched by those suspects in a hate crime,” alleged Sabir, adding that  he had asked the Badalpur police to mention the content of audio in the FIR but the police had assured that they will investigate the audio and add it later.

The HT reports that Harish Chander, deputy commissioner of police, Noida Central, however, said this is not a case of lynching. “The suspects were asking some vendor to chant Jai Shri Ram, and not to the taxi driver. We have identified the suspects through CCTV cameras from a toll plaza and launched a search to arrest them. The suspect had boarded the cab from Bulandshahr. Later the case will be transferred to the concerned district,” Chander said.

इस प्रकरण में मुकदमा पंजीकृत है, विवेचना जारी है। जहां तक ऑडियो रिकॉर्डिंग का प्रश्न है उसको सुना गया है, मृतक को कोई भी नारा लगाने के लिए नहीं कहा गया है बल्कि किसी और से खरीदारी करते वक्त ये वाक्य आया है फिर भी हर बिंदू पर विवेचना प्रचलित है। https://t.co/RetXe4iaND

— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE NOIDA (@noidapolice) September 7, 2020

Wait, it gets worse, The Wire reports that a Dalit man died after being lynched by a group of men allegd to be  members of a rightwing organisation. The incident is from Sunday evening, where five men assaulted 45-year-old Sarvesh Diwakar, he died on Monday in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri. Opposition parties have alleged that the five were members of the rightwing Hindu organisation, Bajrang Dal, reported The Wire. The police are reportedly “unconvinced of the five men’s political affiliation.”

Mainpuri police released a statement urging people not to spread rumours while denying any Bajrang Dal links with the assault, “We have not established any connection of the accused men to any outfit so far. In the eyes of the law they are mere criminals. Please do not spread rumours.” However local media reports claimed that Diwakar, a daily wage worker, was targeted by the five accused after rumours spread that he had sold off his daughter. He is said to have sent the girl to stay with relatives, apparently so she could continue her studies there as the lockdown left Diwakar jobless. He also sent his wife to another relative’s house in Kolkata, a reporter who covered the incident told The Wire. 

While a video of his assault which went viral on social media showing five men kicking and slapping Diwakar even as he appeared to plead for mercy. However, the mob continued to beat him until he was immobile. According to The Wire, Police claimed they have arrested four of the five involved in the crime. The Opposition is collecting political fodder for sure, as crimes rage on in Uttar Pradesh. However, Chief Minister Adityanath, is yet to share any concrete plans for stopping this rise in crime in his state which he had envisioned will be rid of the scourge under his government. 

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Why did Priyanka Gandhi’s comment on crime in UP get so many official responses?
Kidnapping, rape, torture, murder; just another long weekend in Uttar Pradesh
UP’s crime graph rises further, BJP politician Sanjay Khokhar shot dead
Is this the “Ram Rajya” promised by the BJP: Congress attacks UP govt 

The post Men lynched by mobs, cab driver killed by passengers in UP appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The post Superintendent of Police, Palghar asked to go on ‘forced leave’ by Maharashtra govt appeared first on SabrangIndia.

It is no secret that the Palghar lynching case, where two religious leaders of the majority community who were on their way to Gujarat were allegedly lynched in the tribal dominated region of Palghar near Mumbai, had become deeply communal over the last few days.

On April 16, the two ‘saadhus’ and their driver were on their way to Silvassa to attend a funeral. When they were crossing Palghar district, tribals allegedly surrounded their vehicle in Gadhchinchale and the men were lynched. It is said that the attackers suspected the men of being thieves. When police tried to rescue the men, even they were injured seriously.

The victims, identified as two sadhus of the Juna Akhara, Chike Maharaj Kalpavruksh Giri (70) and Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) were seen wearing saffron dhotis and kurtas in the video of the incident that was being circulated. They were identified as being from an ashram in Kandivali who were travelling to Surat to attend a funeral. The third victim was Nilesh Telgade (30), the driver of the van they were travelling in.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had to step in to diffuse tension by reassuring that a thorough investigation would take place.

The Palghar incident has been acted upon. The police has arrested all those accused who attacked the 2 sadhus, 1 driver and the police personnel, on the day of the crime itself.

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 19, 2020

Now, after the matter got a strong communal hue because of rumour mills and even a section of the media, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh released on Twitter names of all the 101 accused arrested in the case, pointing out that not even one of them was Muslim.

The list of the 101 arrested in the #Palghar incident. Especially sharing for those who were trying to make this a communal issue.. pic.twitter.com/pfZnuMCd3x

— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) April 22, 2020

In a Facebook live video from his official page, Deshmukh also said, “The matter is now being investigated by the CID. The police took 101 people into custody within eight days of this tragic incident. Not even one of them is Muslim. People mis-heard ‘oye-bas’ as ‘Shoaib’ and gave the rumours a communal colour.”

He added, “This is not the time to play politics, but unite together to fight the Coronavirus. Instead, some people are having ‘Mungerilal ke haseen sapne’ and that is unfortunate.” The home minister used a pop-culture reference to an old television show where the protagonist just imagined in his dreams, things that didn’t actually happen. The complete video may be viewed here:

Deshmukh had also urged people in a previous tweet to not fall for rumours, “Palghar mob lynching is a grotesque incident which happened due to rumours on social media about child kidnappers & thieves prowling in the area. A high level inquiry is going on & meanwhile people are requested not to fall for rumours & verify the facts from trusted sources.”

Palghar mob lynching is a grotesque incident which happened due to rumours on social media about child kidnappers & thieves prowling in the area. A high level inquiry is going on & meanwhile people are requested not to fall for rumours & verify the facts from trusted sources.

— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) April 22, 2020

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The Palghar police have nabbed 110 people in the matter of the lynching by villagers of three men that took place there on Thursday night. This includes 101 adults who have been remanded to custody and 9 minors who have also been detained in connection with the case. Anil Deshmukh, the Home Minister of Maharashtra warned against communalising the incident and said that an enquiry had been ordered in the matter, reported The Indian Express.

In the case of mob lynching, till now 110 accused ( of local tribal community) have been arrested out of which 9 are juvenile.
Investigation is handed over to CID Crime.
IG Konkan is directed to enquire into police action.
Two police officers are suspended.

— Palghar Police (@Palghar_Police) April 20, 2020

Gaurav Singh, Police Superintendent of Palghar said that the investigation was currently focused on identifying the sources of rumours that spread in the tribal village of Gadchinchle where the incident took place after the villagers allegedly mistook the victims to be thieves and lynched them.

“An inquiry will soon be conducted to ascertain what measures were taken by policemen who reached the scene and had taken the victims into a police van,” he said.

The victims, identified as two sadhus of the Juna Akhara, Chike Maharaj Kalpavruksh Giri (70) and Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) were seen wearing faded saffron dhotis and kurtas in the video of the incident that was being circulated. They were identified as being from an ashram in Kandivali who were travelling to Surat to attend a funeral. The third victim was Nilesh Telgade (30), the driver of the van they were travelling in.

The 101 adults arrested are in 12-day police custody and the 9 minors have been sent to an observation home.

In his tweet, state home minister Anil Deshmukh said that the police fired two rounds and yet the crowd did not come under control. He said that there were some people who were trying to take advantage of the incident by giving it a political twist through a communal angle.

पालघर की घटना बहुत दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है। मामले में 101 लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है और उच्च स्तरीय जांच जारी है। जब पूरा देश कोरोना से लड़ रहा है, कुछ लोग इस घटना को गलत मोड़ देने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं, जो सही नहीं है।#LawAndOrderAboveAll#WarAgainstVirus pic.twitter.com/PVqywq0XR0

— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) April 20, 2020

Twitter had gone abuzz with hashtags like #JusticeforHinduSadhus and several right-wing leaders expressed their displeasure over the incident. Some Hindutva associated handles then tried to instigate a communal angle prompting Deshmukh to tweet that the attackers and the victims belonged to the same religion.

हमला करनेवाले और जिनकी इस हमले में जान गई – दोनों अलग धर्मीय नहीं हैं।
बेवजह समाज में/ समाज माध्यमों द्वारा धार्मिक विवाद निर्माण करनेवालों पर पुलिस और @MahaCyber1 को कठोर कार्रवाई करने के आदेश दिए गए हैं।#LawAndOrderAboveAll

— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) April 19, 2020

In this matter, the Inspector General of Police (Konkan Range) also suspended two policemen, Kasa Police station’s Assistant police inspector Anandrao Kale and sub-inspector Sudhir Katare, for alleged dereliction of duty. CM Uddhav Thackeray said, “The Palghar incident has been acted upon. The police have arrested all those accused who attacked the 2 sadhus, 1 driver and the police personnel, on the day of the crime itself.” Uddhav Thackeray added, “Nobody guilty in this heinous crime and shameful act will be spared and they will be brought to justice in the strongest way possible.”
 

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The post 101 adults arrested, 9 minors detained in Palghar lynching case appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image Courtesy: ANI

While the whole nation was home, grappling with the coronavirus lockdown, on Thursday night, a 40-year-old tribal man from Jharkhand’s Dumka district was allegedly lynched by a mob on the suspicion of theft at Saraiyahat, 50 km from the Dumka district headquarters, The Telegraph India reported.

Pramod Hajra, originally a resident of the Ambatari village in Bihar, was living at his in-laws’ residence in the tribal village of Sumeta in Dhouni Panchayat, Dumka. He passed away on the spot due to his injuries.

Police officials reported that Hajra, who was reportedly wanted in several burglary cases, was caught by villagers as he was allegedly trying to get away with 400 grams of stolen silver jewellery and Rs. 4,800 cash with the help of two accomplices, from the houses of Viram Mandal and Laxmi Mandal, residents of the Kendua village.

A mob of around 20 people caught Hajra, stripped him and tied his hands with his trousers while questioning him.

Sanjay Janak Murthy, the station officer in-charge of the Saraiyahat police station said, “The deceased has been identified as Pramod Hajra, a resident of Ambatari village that falls under the jurisdiction of Bausi police station in Bihar’s Banka district. He was an interstate criminal.”

Murthy had said that he had received information about three people entering a house in Kendua with the intention of robbery and had been chased by villagers, who only got hold of Hajra. When the police reached the spot, they found out that he had died. The police questioned the villagers and took Hajra’s body for a post-mortem. Hajra had received deep wounds on his head and chest in the assault.

Condemning the incident and saying that the civilized society will not tolerate such monstrous acts, Sub-divisional Police officer, Animesh Naithani said, “Cops later took the body to the police station. Strict action will be taken against the offenders.”

Hajra’s widow Kanchan Devi who has now filed an FIR, however alleged that her husband was killed over a dispute that had taken place earlier. She said that she had accused some men of sexual harassment earlier could have been part of the mob that killed her husband.

The Mandal brothers too have filed an FIR about the theft.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, YS Ramesh who assigned the investigation to be taken up as priority said, “We are strict about identifying the persons involved in the incident and action will be taken against them.” No arrests in the incident have been made so far.

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