RANCHI: The vehicle theft, for which 22-year old Sachin Kumar Verma was lynched by over 40 daily-wage labourers in Ranchi on Monday night, is yet to be reported to the police. Police sources claimed that the mini-truck was actually not stolen as no complaint has been lodged so far in this regard with the concerned police station.
The incident took place in a planned way, apparently due to personal enmity between the vehicle owner and Sachin after a dispute over parking of the mini-truck, sources said. Sachin was brutally thrashed by over 40 people and was pierced with a screwdriver, burnt with cigarette butts, hit with iron rods and wooden planks due to which he succumbed to his injuries.
“No complaint of vehicle theft has been reported so far. The incident took place possibly due to personal enmity between Sachin and owner of the vehicle Manoj Sao after a dispute over parking of the vehicle,” said Kotwali Police Station Inspector Sailesh Prasad.
According to one of the accused persons, Sachin allegedly had threatened Sao a few days back that his vehicle will disappear if he dared to park it again in front of his house, he added.
The Inspector said that it is being said that Sachin was intercepted after the vehicle was not seen there.
“Had there been any theft case, it would have been put to our notice first; instead Sachin was caught by Sao and thrashed badly,” said Prasad. It is a well-planned conspiracy due to personal enmity, he added. “According to one of the arrested persons, a rumour of vehicle theft was spread deliberately and Sachin was caught from Neel Ratan Street and taken to the campus of the temple nearby and thrashed badly after tying his hands and legs,” said the Inspector.
“Despite his denial, he was being beaten brutally by the people there with wooden planks and iron rods. He was crying badly due to pain and blood was oozing out of his nose, still, he was being beaten,” said an eye-witness requesting anonymity.
He was being hit on his body and threatened that he will be thrown into the well if he did not accept his crime, he added.
According to the FIR lodged by the deceased's mother Annu Verma, she was informed at 6 am on Tuesday morning that her son was being beaten by the daily wage labourers and the owner of the vehicle, Manoj Sao, at Neel-Ratan Street in the Naya Tola area. After reaching there, she found that Sachin’s hands and legs were tied up and was being brutally thrashed by the people there due to which, blood was oozing out of his nose. She also alleged that they were asking Sachin to tell something and threatening that he will be thrown in the well.