Palghar lynching case: Home min confirms cops were aware of rumours

Palghar police were aware of the rumours about thieves on social media from around eight days before the April 16 lynching took place at Gadchinchale in Dahanu wherein

Palghar police were aware of the rumours about thieves on social media from around eight days before the April 16 lynching took place at Gadchinchale in Dahanu wherein three people were murdered by a mob of 500 tribals, said state home minister Anil Deshmukh. He talked to the media in Palghar after visiting the site of the incident as well Kasa police station.

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Rumours about thieves in disguise roaming around Palghar to kidnap victims for organ smuggling led to the panic among tribals, which in turn resulted in the lynching incident.

Deshmukh said the home department has received a report about the rumours from local police and is gathering further information from local MP, MLA, Zilla Parishad members. The state CID has taken over the probe.

The minister said they have received applications seeking release of those innocent who have been arrested and added that the process of releasing the innocent from among the arrested will only take place after the CID completes its inquiry. “We will later inquire as to how the three victims managed to hoodwink the police and travel 120 km from Mumbai to reach the spot, and the guilty will be punished,” said Deshmukh.

Earlier, five police personnel, including Kasa police in-charge API Anandrao Kale, PSI Sudhir Katare and three others were suspended while 35 police personnel (the entire Kasa police staff) were transferred to other police stations in Palghar police district. So far 115 accused have been arrested and have since been remanded in police custody till May 14 by the Dahanu court.