Palghar lynching: Two probes launched, CID grills local cops

S Ahmed Ali & Sandhya Nair | TNN | Apr 24, 2020, 11:54 IST

Two of the victims belonged to a religious sect and were heading in a car for Gujarat to attend a funeral, when they and their driver were dragged out at Gadchinchale Village, Palghar district, and beaten to death, despite police intervention.

Two of the victims belonged to a religious sect and were heading in a car for Gujarat to attend a funeral, whe...Read More

MUMBAI: Rubbishing yet again the allegations of right-wing organisations of a communal angle to the Palghar lynching, the Maharashtra government has initiated two separate inquiries into the April 16 incident. While the Crime Intelligence Department (CID) is probing the roles of the policemen who are seen in a video of the incident failing to protect the victims, the local police are investigating the crime angle as part of the other investigation. Police are questioning 110 people, including nine minors, arrested for the crime. They have found in the medical reports of the alleged perpetrators that a number of them were drunk on the night of the attack.
Two of the victims belonged to a religious sect and were heading in a car for Gujarat to attend a funeral, when they and their driver were dragged out at Gadchinchale Village, Palghar district, and beaten to death, despite police intervention. Two policemen, including the local police station in-charge, were suspended for dereliction of duty; the CID has summoned them and recorded their statements.
“Our team has visited the site and has started recording the statements of policemen, eyewitnesses and the person who made videos of the incident. We are investigating whether the policemen were short of staff or were under any influence. It will take three or four days to reach a conclusion,” said a senior officer. “Police are trying to figure out who spread rumours that the car’s occupants were child lifters. Also, prima facie it appears that the travelers didn’t have permission to travel and violated lockdown nor ms.”
Meanwhile, home minister Anil Deshmukh reiterated the CM’s warning against portraying the incident in communal colours. He said police are keeping an eye on those seeking to use the incident to create rifts in society.