MUMBAI: A day after the Maharashtra government handed over the Palghar lynching case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the agency on Tuesday visited the Gadchindhali village, where the incident had taken place.
CID in-charge Atul Kulkarni said that prime facie suggests that this was not a communal incident, however, they are investigating all angle into the incident. “We will take all evidence like CCTV footages and eye witnesses’ account into consideration. We are also checking all cases which registered in Kasa police station,” said Kulkarni.
An officer in the condition of anonymity said, “From last few days rumours floated in “the village that kidney stealing gang were active and they may come to their village. Hence, villager had deployed people at the border of their village to keep watch on strangers. When the vehicle of these two sadhus and driver arrived then scuffle broke out between them and the incident took place.” According to the police, the men, who took an internal route passing through Gadchindhali village, were stopped by locals who suspected that they were child lifters.
Over 110 people have been arrested so far from Palghar, including five main accused. Two police officials have been suspended for dereliction of duty.
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has made it clear that there is no communal angle to the lynching incident. “I have ordered to initiate action against those who are giving a communal twist to the Palghar mob lynching. I also informed him that my government is definitely going to take action against the perpetrators,” Thackeray said.Meanwhile, the NHRC has sent a notice to the Maharashtra Police over the mob lynching.