MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has ordered an inquiry into the death of a 20-year-old man who was allegedly lynched for stalking an upper-caste girl in Pune.
Police have arrested the girl’s father, brother, uncle and cousin besides detaining two minors as well. All of them are booked for murder and under relevant provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Viraj Vilas Jagtap, a residence of Pimple Saudagar suburb of Pune, was said to be involved in an inter-caste relationship with a girl belonging to an upper caste. Jagtap was killed on the night of June 7.
Maharashtra Minister Nitin Raut has promised to ensure that the guilty would be punished.
According to the Pune Police, the girl’s family members accused Viraj of stalking and harassing her and that the fight took place over the “trouble which he was causing to the girl”. Viraj was a second-year student at a local college and worked part-time in a transport firm.
According to the FIR, Viraj, who was on his bike, was initially chased by six people in a tempo.
They hit his bike from behind after which he fell down and started running to save himself from his attackers.
Chasing him further, one of the accused hit him on the head with a heavy rod and another hurled a rock at him.
Four of the accused held Viraj’s hands and legs while Jagdish used casteist slurs and spat at him, the FIR said.
Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissioner Sandeep Bishnoi said police are probing the case.