Five men accused of beating a Muslim man on suspicion of theft, have been arrested while two police officers have been suspended amid the outrage over the mob attack on 24 year old, Tabrez Ansari in Jharkhand, who succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital on Saturday, June 22.
Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha and CPI (ML) posted videos on social media alleging that the deceased, was lynched after being forced to chant Jai Sri Ram and Jai Hanuman in Dahtkidih village under Seraikela police station (PS).
According to the reports, Tabrez was handed over to the police on June 18 after being beaten up by the mob and was in the judicial custody since that day. He was taken to a hospital on June 22 after his condition worsened.
Complainant Kamal Mahto has told police that he and his family members woke up to a sound and found three men on the rooftop of his neighbour’s house around 2 am on June 18. Mahto complained that when they raised an alarm, the three jumped from the roof. Two of them escaped but Ansari hurt his leg and could not run — he hid in a bush where the villagers found him.
The complaint states that the villagers found in Ansari’s possession a motorcycle without a registration number, wallets and a phone later identified as stolen. It says police were informed and Ansari was handed over to them.
However, Ansari’s uncle Maqsood Alam alleged that the mob thrashed Ansari and later handed him over to the police. He further said that the attack on Ansari was communal in nature as he had a Muslim name.
“They made him chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Hanuman’ again and again,” claimed Alam, calling for the arrest of the culprits.
An FIR has been filed and an investigation is underway.
Also read: Bihar: Mob lynches 44-year-old man to death over suspicion of cattle theft
