A day after five persons of a nomadic community were lynched in Dhule district of Maharashtra on suspicion of being child-lifters, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of each of the deceased.
“I appeal to the residents not to believe unverified rumours circulating over social media or to take the law into their own hands. We have taken serious cognisance of this unfortunate incident,” Mr. Fadnavis said, speaking along the sidelines of a function in Nashik district.
Meanwhile, 23 persons were taken into police custody in connection with the lynching of five persons in Dhule on Sunday.
The deceased, identified as, Bharat Shankar Bhosale,45, his brother Dadarao Shankar Bhosale, Raju Bhosale and Bharat Malwe,47, (all hailing from Khave village in Solapur’s Mangalvedhe tehsil), and Anagu Ingole (from Manewadi village in Mangalvedhe) were bludgeoned to death by a mob in Sakri tehsil on suspicion of being child lifters. The victims belonged to the Gosavi nomadic community that derived sustenance by begging for alms
In Satara district, members of the nomadic Bhatkya Vimykta community staged a protest, against the State government, demanding that the compensation be increased to ₹10 lakh for the kin of each of the deceased.
Uneasy calm
An uneasy calm prevailed in Rainpada hamlet, where the vigilante action occurred. According to reports, a number of villagers have fled the area after the lynchings.
Earlier, the kin of the deceased refused to accept the bodies, demanding that stern action be taken against the killers.
They later relented following the announcement of compensation. M. Ramkumar, Superintendent of Police, Dhule said that the bodies of the victims had been sent to Mangalvedhe for their last rites.
“No government authority has come to meet us since the incident. We demand justice for our loved ones,” said Santosh Bhosale, son of the deceased Dadarao Bhosale.
“The mob that had gathered on Sunday to mete out vigilante justice was already on the edge, owing to rumours about alleged child-lifters doing the rounds on social media for the past few days,” said a senior police official from Dhule.
Minister of State for Home (Rural) Deepak Kesarkar, who visited the district on Monday morning, promised stern action against the culprits.
“I appeal to everybody not to believe in posts circulated over social media. No one should take the law in their hands,” said Mr. Kesarkar.
The Dhule lynchings also elicited sharp condemnation from Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale and Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan.
Mr. Chavan attributed the incident to the “failure” of the State Home Department — a portfolio being held by Mr. Fadnavis.
