E-Paper
2019 case: 10 get 10-yr jail over J’khand lynching
Ansari, 24, was tied to a tree, thrashed by a mob, and forced to chant religious slogans at Dhatkidih village under Saraikela police station on the intervening night of June 17-18, 2019
The Saraikela district court on Wednesday sentenced 10 people to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the Tabrez Ansari lynching case dating back to June 2019. Four years after the incident that had sparked national outrage, the Saraikela district court held the 10 guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) last week; the sentence was pronounced on Wednesday.
Ansari, 24, was tied to a tree, thrashed by a mob, and forced to chant religious slogans at Dhatkidih village under Saraikela police station on the intervening night of June 17-18, 2019. The mob suspected that he was there to steal a bike. He died four days later.Of the 13 accused who faced trial in the case, the court of additional district judge Amit Sehkhar held 10 guilty and acquitted two others. One of the accused died during the trial.
“We asked for maximum punishment of life imprisonment for the convicts but the court sentenced them to 10 years rigorous improvement and fine of ₹15000 each under Section 304 (1) of the IPC, besides smaller sentences and fine under other sections. Sentencing under all sections would run concurrently,” said public prosecutor Ashok Rai.
The 10 accused including the main accused Prakash Mandal alias Pappu Mandal have been convicted under Sections 304(1), culpable homicide not amounting to murder, 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 295 (A), deliberate and maliciously intending to outrage religious feelings, of the IPC.
After the beating, Ansari was handed over to police by the villagers on June 18 and was sent to jail the same day. He fell sick in jail and died on the morning of June 22.
Ansari’s wife Sahistha Parveen registered a case of murder against Prakash Mandal and others. The names of 12 other accused were added by police during investigation.
Initially, police had registered a first information report under section 302 (murder) and other offences of the IPC but filed a charge sheet under Section 304 in Saraikela court after dropping the murder charge. Available evidence and autopsy report indicated it was not a premeditated murder, police claimed. The autopsy mentioned cardiac arrest as the cause of death.
Complainant Parveen then moved court, challenging the police theory that it was not a premeditated murder. Following a national outrage over the dropping of charges, the police then filed a supplementary charge sheet on September 18, 2019, reimposing Section 302 against the accused. The court however did not find the accused guilty under murder charges.
