Minority body directs officials to be alert , post lynchings
Jamshedpur: The Jharkhand State Minority Commission has taken the recent lynching followed by communal violence in Kolhan division seriously and has directed officials to ensure safety of minority families by adopting best possible measures to spread communal harmony.
The commission, led by chairman Kamal Khan along with vice chairman Gurdev Singh Raja and Ashok Sharangi held a meeting with district administrative officials and members of peace committee on Thursday in Jamshedpur. Officials were asked not to withdraw security forces from any sensitive area, where frenzied mob lynched innocent men on suspicion of being child lifters.
Khan said the commission had prepared a report over the lynching and communal violence, which will be submitted to chief minister Raghubar Das within a couple of days. He refused to share the findings of the investigation. However, sources said, it has been indicated that the lynchings could be part of a conspiracy to destabilize the Das government and defame the BJP.
Nine people have been lynched in separate incidents since May 12, five of them being Muslims. The incident triggered unrest in the steel city as people of the minority community took to the streets in protest and attacked police vans and patrol parties demanding justice to deceased families and protection to the minorities in the state.
Around 20 people have been arrested in connection with the lynchings so far. Those arrested have told police that they were driven by panic and hence thrashed the accused.
Vice chairman Raja said that the Commission has directed officials to hold special meetings in 252 sensitive villages in Kolhan in order to spread communal harmony and spread awareness against rumors.
“Officials will hold peace committee meetings in concerned villages while all possible steps will be taken to control rumors. Deployment of security forces will continue at all sensitive places till situation returns to normalcy ,” Raja said.