Even after two months of Jharkhand passing an anti-mob lynching bill in the state Assembly, incidents of mob violence continues to rock the state.
After the January incident of mob beating a youth to death and then burning the body over illegal tree felling accusation in Simdega, another mob lynching incident has surfaced on Thursday late night in Serandag panchayat under Herhanj police station area in Latehar district, over 160km from the capital Ranchi.
According to police sources in Latehar district headquarter, a 35-year-old married resident of Hesatu village under Serandag panchayat in Herhanj block, identified as Dinesh Singh, had an illicit affair with a woman of the same village for the last few years.
“According to the FIR lodged by Surjamani Devi in the Herhanj police station, her husband Dinesh Singh had an illicit affair with wife of Suryadev Singh for the last few years. Another villager Dashrath Singh had informed Suryadev about it on Thursday and on the same day late evening a panchayat was called by the husband of the mukhiya, Sohrai Singh,” said a senior police official preferring anonymity.
During the course of the meeting, Suryadev, Bihari Singh, Rampreet Singh and some other people started beating Dinesh with sticks. He became almost senseless and was brought to his house and died in the wee hours of Friday.
“On getting the information about the incident on Friday morning, we arranged to send the body for post mortem at Latehar Sadar Hospital. We have arrested three persons so far in this case. Search operation is on to nab other accused in the incident. Cases have been lodged under various sections of the IPC,” said Herhanj police station in-charge, Shashi Ranjan.
The three persons who have been arrested include Dashrath, Suryadev and Rajkumar Singh.
On Saturday morning, the irate villagers blocked the Balumath-Panki Main Road with the victim’s body for several hours demanding compensation and arrest of the main accused Sohrai Singh, who had called the panchayat.
The blockade was lifted after administration led by SDPO Balumath Ajit Kumar assured that they would arrest the main accused within 24 hours and also assured to arrange for compensation and gave Rs 10,000 on the spot for last rites.
Cattle theft suspicion
Two Muslim youths, Mohammed Hashim and Mohammed Waris, were thrashed on Friday evening by local youths at Baniyadih High School in Mufassil police station area of Giridih district on suspicion of cattle theft while they were going with a cattle they had purchased from a local. The local police reached the spot on time and freed the two youths who had received minor injuries and got them treated in the Giridih Sadar Hospital.
Giridih SDPO Anil Kumar said that five persons have been arrested in this connection so far.
Pointer of antique sundial recovered
Police have recovered the gnomon or pointer of the antique sundial, which was stolen earlier this week from a park in Dehri-on-Sone in Bihar’s Rohtas district, on Saturday.
Rohtas superintendent of police Ashish Bharti said one person has been arrested in connection with the theft.
Police officials with the pointer of the antique sundial in Bihar’s Rohtas district on Saturday. Sanjay Choudhary
He was trying to sell it for Rs 2,000. The sun dial was installed by the British in 1851 to keep time for the labourers engaged in making canals, bridges, anicut dam and other facilities in the area.
Dev Raj
