Mumbai: A week after the ‘unfortunate’ incident at Maharashtra’s Dhule district that left the whole nation shocked, the police is yet to find out what made the residents of Rainpada village, lynch the five tribal men. The police have not yet found any evidence to conclude the incident took place because of the ‘rumours’ of child-lifting on social media platforms.
The police team investigating the case is yet to find out any material, which could prove the theory that the five men were killed because of the fake news of child-lifting, doing rounds on WhatsApp and Facebook groups.
M Ramkumar, Superintendent of Police (SP), Dhule confirmed the news saying, “The theory that some fake news or rumours pertaining to child-lifters triggered villagers, is yet to be proven. The investigations so far do not point to any messages being circulated regarding the active presence of child-lifters in the area.”
The SP further said the investigating team is yet to adduce material to show that the incident took place because of the fake news on social media platforms. “We have been unable to find out any material or evidence in which WhatsApp or Facebook can be blamed for the incident. There is no evidence for us to show that the incident was nothing but a result of the rumours on WhatsApp and Facebook groups. We are still investigating this aspect,” Ramkumar said.
Surprisingly, the arrested accused, who are presently being interrogated by the investigating team, have not given any statement, which could throw light on the real cause of the incident.
“We have recorded the statements of the 26 men who are arrested in the incident so far. None of them has shed light on why the five men were lynched,” Ramkumar said.
“The only thing they have stated is they saw people beating the five men with chappals, so they too joined the crowd and assaulted the victims,” Ramkumar added.
According to Ramkumar, the incident occurred because of some ‘misunderstanding’ as the men were ‘strangers’ in the village leading to suspicion.
“The men were definitely strangers in the village. There could be some misunderstanding and thus the local residents started beating them,” Ramkumar said, adding, “The initial assault lasted for some 10 to 15 minutes and soon a mob of hundreds of people formed and everyone started assaulting the five men with sticks, rods, chappals and whatever they could.”
If SP Ramkumar is to be believed, then this would probably be the first every ‘violent’ incident in Rainpada village, which otherwise is a ‘peaceful’ hamlet. “This incident has given a shock to everyone as this is for the first that violence has taken place here, that too till the extent of lynching five men,” Ramkumar claimed.
He said, “There have been no such aggression or violence in this area before. There have been instances of murder over personal issues but they too were not such brutal. Otherwise, this area is quite peaceful.”
Prime accused, in lynching of 5, arrested
Mumbai: A local crime branch on Sunday arrested the key accused in the Dhule lynching incident in which five men were killed by a mob on suspicions of them being child lifters. The incident took place on July 1 when a mob lynched five tribals in Rainpada village, some 100 kilomteres from Maharashtra’s Dhule district headquarters after rumours on social media floated the possibility of child lifters in the area. While 24 persons had been arrested so far, the arrest of the main accused on Sunday is likely to help investigative officers get to the source of the crime. The accused would be charged with murder under IPC section 302. The cyber cell team of Maharashtra Police, meanwhile, has urged people not to believe in rumours. Local people are being urged to report any suspicious activities they may notice instead of taking matters in their own hands.
CM for Stronger measures to check rumours
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said it was “very sad” that five people lost their lives in Dhule district only because of rumours and sought stronger measures by social media platforms to check their spread. Modern means of communication, he said, are for sharing information and knowledge and should be used judiciously. “The Dhule incident was very unfortunate. It is very sad that five people lost their lives only because of rumours. We also need more strongers measures to be taken by various platforms of social media (to check the spread of rumours),” Fadnavis told PTI. “My appeal to all citizens using social media is that these modern ways of communication are for sharing information and knowledge. All of us need to use these means more sensibly and in a way that benefits society,” Fadnavis said.
This photo taken on July 1, 2018 shows members of the news media gathering around the crime scene where five men were murdered in a lynching incident in Dhule district, some 330 kilometres (205 miles) from Mumbai.
Indian police said July 2 they have arrested 23 people after five men were bludgeoned to death by a crazed mob in yet another horrific lynching to rock the country.
/ AFP PHOTO / -