BARIPADA: A police official was suspended and 10 persons were arrested in connection with the lynching of a woman by a mob suspecting her to be a child lifter at Domuhani in Mayurbhanj district.
Mayurbhanj SP Prakash R said Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Basanta Kumar Thatua, who served in Bangiriposi police station, has been suspended for negligence of duty. The order, issued by the SP’s office, cited that Thatua had not responded to the complaint filed by Domuhani villagers.
Inspector in-Charge of the police station Satish Kumar Ray said the villagers had reportedly informed the ASI over phone on Friday night about a woman Basanti Mahanta (60) of Boisinga roaming in Bangiriposi for the last couple of weeks. They suspected her to be child lifter. But the ASI, who was on night duty, did not take the matter seriously. Sources said on Friday, villagers questioned her about her identity. The villagers said she was a mentally-challenged and spoke in Hindi and Bengali but was not able to answer their questions following which they tied her up with an iron chain the entire night.
On Saturday morning, though the villagers freed her, they started assaulting her with lathis and pelted stones at her. She managed to flee from the crowd but died on her way to hospital. Police received information and rushed to the spot.
The IIC said that 10 accused have been arrested so far. They were produced in Baripada Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate Court, and remanded in judicial custody after their bails were rejected.
Killed over suspicion
ASI Basanta Kumar Thatua had not responded to complaints over phone by villagers on Friday night
Villagers suspected her to be child lifter and and tied her up with a chain entire night
They freed her on Saturday and assaulted her with lathis and pelted stones
She died while on her way to hospital