BHOPAL: A horrific incident of alleged mob lynching following rumours of child lifting happened in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. While one of the six men succumbed to injuries, five others have been hospitalized, four of who are stated to be critical.
Primary police investigations have revealed that the shocking incident happened in Borlai village under Manawar police station of Dhar district on the instigation and rumour-mongering by three labour contractors from Khirkiya village (also in Dhar district). The three labour contractors had in a pre-planned manner called the six wealthy farmers from Sanwer (Indore) and Ujjain district to pay outstanding sum of Rs 1.5 lakh.
According to the Dhar district police superintendent Aditya Pratap Singh, the six men are wealthy farmers from Sanwer area of Indore district and also adjoining Ujjain district. “They had paid Rs 2.5 lakh to the three labour contractors based in Khirkiya village under Tirla police station of Dhar district recently for hiring agricultural labour, but the contractors didn’t supply the promised labour. The contractors returned Rs 1 lakh to the farmers and asked the farmers to come to Khirkiya village for getting the outstanding Rs 1.5 lakh,” said Singh.
When the six farmers reached the Khirkiya village in Dhar district in two cars to get the outstanding Rs 1.5 lakh from the three contractors, the farmers were attacked in a pre-planned manner by the contractors and aides. “The six farmers after being attacked with stones escaped in their vehicles from Khirkiya village, but when they reached Borlai village (around 30 km from Khirkiya village) their cars got stuck in traffic jam due to a bus,” the SP Dhar said.
Meanwhile, the three contractors and their men who were chasing the fleeing farmers also reached the Borlai villages and spread the rumour that the six men were fleeing after lifting kids from Khirkiya village. Provoked by the rumour the mob of villagers attacked the six men in two cars with stones and rods.
“All six men were dragged out of their vehicles and attacked heavily. Our cops meanwhile got to know that some men were being attacked on suspicion of child theft. Cops rushed to the spot and managed to bring them to Manawar hospital. One of the critically injured men was rushed to Indore, but died midway,” the SP Dhar said.
According to Singh a case of murder, attempt to murder and rioting has been lodged against the three labour contractors and 10-15 of their aides. No arrests, however, have been made till now.
While the SP claimed that only three labour contractors and their 10-15 aides were involved in the incident, the videos of the incident which have gone viral show the mob of villagers and not just 10-15 men surrounding the farmers and attacking them with stones, sticks and mobs, while the helpless cop trying in vain to stop the violent mob.
One video also shows the on-duty cops trying to ascertain the condition of the badly injured farmers by touching their bodies with green coloured pipes and also doing precious little, while the mob of villagers attack the downed shutters of a shop in which the farmers are possibly hiding.