Maharashtra govt orders probe into Palghar mob lynching

The Maharashtra home minister also warned officials against giving any communal colour to the incident, as two of the three deceased were allegedly seers.

The Maharashtra government has ordered a high-level investigation into the Palghar mob lynching incident in which three people were killed on Thursday night, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Sunday.

The incident occurred when three men from Kandivali in Mumbai were heading towards Gujarat’s Surat in a car to attend a funeral on Thursday night.(HT PHOTO.)

“Police have detained 101 people involved in the killing of three Surat-bound people in Palghar. I have also ordered a high level inquiry into these killings,” Deshmukh tweeted from his official handle @AnilDeshmukhNCP.

The Maharashtra home minister also warned officials against giving any communal colour to the incident, as two of the three deceased were allegedly seers.

He further said that the police are keeping a close vigil on those who wanted to use this incident to create a rift in society.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray reacting to the probe ordered said, “The Palghar incident has been acted upon. The police have arrested all those accused who attacked the two sadhus, one driver and the police personnel on the day of the crime itself.

“Nobody guilty of this heinous crime and shameful act will be spared and they will be brought to justice in the strongest way possible,” Thackeray said in a tweet.

The incident occurred when three men from Kandivali in Mumbai were heading towards Gujarat’s Surat in a car to attend a funeral on Thursday night.

Their vehicle was stopped in Palghar district. The trio were dragged out of their car and beaten to death on suspicion that they were thieves.

The deceased were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35), and their car driver Nilesh Telgade (30).