MHA seeks report from Maharashtra CM on Palghar mob lynching; two police personnel suspended, 101 people taken into custody

Home minister Amit Shah asked Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for a report on the Palghar mob lynching in which three people were killed on Thursday night. The Maharashtra government had ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident on Sunday. Meanwhile, two police personnel of Palghar’s Kasa Police Station were suspended, district SP Gaurav Singh told ANI. Home minister Anil Deshmukh also warned against giving any communal colour to the incident, as two of the three deceased were believed to be seers. In a tweet issued from his handle, the home minister said, “Police have detained 101 people involved into the killing of three Surat-bound people in Palghar. I have also ordered high-level inquiry into these killings.” Deshmukh further said that the police is keeping a close eye on those who wanted to use this incident to create a rift in society. “Those who attacked and who died in the Palghar mob killings are not from different religions. I have ordered Maharashtra police and @MahaCyber1 to take action against anyone instigating communal hatred in the society or on social media,” Deshmukh said in a tweet in Hindi.

हमला करनेवाले और जिनकी इस हमले में जान गई - दोनों अलग धर्मीय नहीं हैं।
बेवजह समाज में/ समाज माध्यमों द्वारा धार्मिक विवाद निर्माण करनेवालों पर पुलिस और @MahaCyber1 को कठोर कार्रवाई करने के आदेश दिए गए हैं।#LawAndOrderAboveAll

— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) April 19, 2020

The Palghar Police said 101 people have been remanded to police custody till 30 April and nine of them have been sent to juvenile home. Most of those arrested belong to Gadchinchale village in Dahanu Taluka of Palghar district, The Wire reported.

The incident occurred when three men from Kandivali in Mumbai were headed towards Surat in a car to attend a funeral on Thursday night. Their vehicle was stopped in Palghar district. A large group of villagers surrounded the car and started attacking them with sticks and iron rods, Scroll reported. They were beaten to death on suspicion of being thieves. The deceased were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35), and their car driver Nilesh Telgade (30). Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that the accused will be brought to justice.

Nobody guilty in this heinous crime and shameful act will be spared and they will be brought to justice in the strongest way possible.

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 19, 2020

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the mob attack and demanded a high-level inquiry to bring the perpetrators to justice.

... ensure that people who are responsible for this are brought to justice at the earliest.
(2/2)

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 19, 2020