Jharkhand mob lynching: Officers-in-charge of two police stations suspended
The officers-in-charge, who have been suspended in connection with the lynching of seven alleged child-lifters, belong to the Bagbera and Rajnagar police stations.
The Jharkhand government has suspended the officers-in-charge of the Bagbera and Rajnagar police stations, under whom seven people were killed on false charges of “child-lifting”.
It also constituted a probe panel headed by the Kolhan commissioner and the regional DIG to conduct an inquiry into the killings. The report will have to be submitted in a month, said home secretary SKG Rahate.
“It was a spontaneous reaction of the villagers on unfounded rumours,” said Rahate, adding that 16 people have been arrested in this connection until now.
Villagers lynched four suspected child-lifters in Sobhapur village under Rajnagar police station in Saraikela-Kharsawan district on May 18. Similarly, three people were killed in Nagadih village under Bagbera police station in East Singhbhum district the next day. The deceased have been identified as Shiekh Nayeem, Md Sajjad, Siraj Khan and Shiekh Aleem (of Saraikela), and Vikas Kumar Verma, Gautam Kumar Verma and Gangesh Kumar (of Jamshedpur).
Rumours led to stone-pelting incidents and large scale disturbances on May 19 and 20. Police have lodged cases against 102 people belonging to Mango, Bishtupur, Azad Nagar, Sakchi, Jugsalai and Bagbera localities in this connection.
The administrator of a Whatsapp group, which is believed to have fanned the rumours, has been detained. “The police are interrogating him,” said director general of police (DGP) DK Pandey, without sharing further details.
Police have named 37 persons in an FIR lodged with Rajnagar police over the Sobhapur incident. Two accused were arrested from Saraikela. Seventeen people have been named as the suspects, and four arrested, in the Bagbera incident.
Rahate said a team headed by IG (operations) Asish Batra was camping in Jamshedpur, and things were under control. Cheques of Rs 2 lakh have been handed over to the deceased’s relatives, he added.
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