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Tribal man lynched in Jharkhand village, three arrested
The deceased, identified as Dinesh Singh of Hesatu village, a member of Khairwar tribal sub caste, was allegedly in a relationship with another married woman of the same village.
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In an alleged case of mob lynching, a 36-year-old married tribal man in a village in Latehar district of Jharkhand succumbed to his injuries on Friday morning, hours after allegedly being beaten by a group of fellow villagers, police said.
The deceased, identified as Dinesh Singh of Hesatu village, a member of Khairwar tribal sub caste, was allegedly in a relationship with another married woman of the same village.
Singh was allegedly beaten by the group after a panchayat was organised on Thursday evening by Sohrai Singh, husband of gram panchayat mukhiya Malti Devi and the prime accused, in the village to settle the matter during which the panchyat also decided to levy a fine of ₹51,000 on the deceased.
Surymani Devi, wife of the deceased, told reporters that they paid ₹3,100 instantly to the panchayat. However, a group of villagers still beat her husband and other family members.
“My husband was under medical treatment locally. When we tried to intervene, Sohrai Singh and others also beat me, my mother in-law and brother in-law. My husband died of his injuries later,” said Devi.
As the news of the incident spread on Friday, police from Herhanj police station reached the village, recovered the body and sent it for autopsy to Latehar district hospital.
On Saturday, the villagers led by family members of the deceased, blocked the Panki-Balumath state highway demanding monetary compensation and arrest of the accused.
Senior officials from the police and district administration reached the spot and after much persuasion, the family removed the body after blocking the road for three hours following assurance of arrest of the accused in within 24 hours.
Complainant Devi has named 11 people from the village, including Sohrai Singh, in her compliant and three of them have been arrested, said Herhanj police station in-charge Pradip Verma.
“Three of the 11 accused were arrested on Saturday. We are conducting raids to nab other accused,” he said.
The police officer said that preliminary investigations showed that the illicit relationship was the root cause behind the entire incident. “We are waiting for autopsy report to establish the exact cause of death. We will also question the local quack who treated the man,” Verma said.
Meanwhile, the opposition targeted the Hemant Soren government.
“The way Dinesh Singh was beaten to death after holding a panchayat shows there is no fear of law among people. Such incidents are constantly increasing in Jharkhand. The CM is mute over such incidents but people are watching,” said Babulal Marandi, BJP legislature party leader.
Marandi on Saturday also met the family of 17-year-old Rupesh Pandey, who was killed by a group from different community during Saraswati idol immersion under Barhi police station limits in Hazaribag district last week. The incident had led to widespread protests, forcing administration to shut internet services across four districts for around two days.
Mob lynching incidents in Jharkhand have made national headlines in the past few years. The Soren government, in the winter session of Jharkhand assembly, had passed an anti-lynching bill, providing jail terms up to life imprisonment. However, the Act is yet to be notified by the state government.
