Justice after 33 months, all the eight accused in Latehar Lynching, the first lynching case of Jharkhand get convicted

Ranchi: December 19, brought respite and peace to the families of Mazloom Ansari and Imtiaz Khan, who had been lynched and later hanged from a tree, an area falls under Balumath police station area in March 2016. After relentless struggle and effort the eight got convicted for life by a Latehar court on Wednesday.

Among the two victims, Imtiaz was only 12 years old. His father, Azad Khan was partner of Mazloom. The duo were cattle traders. Azad had met with an accident and hence had sent his son with Mazloom to the village cattle fair to sell their oxen.

However, while the duo were on their way, they were picked by those accused in the case and taken to a nearby forest, where they first beaten to death and later hanged from a tree.

Wife of Mazloom, Saira Bibi, maintained that that the attack was pre-planned. Speaking to eNewsroom in July this year, she had told that two of the accused (Arun Sahu and Bunty alias Manoj Sahu) had threatened her husband twice. First by the roadside and second time they had even come to their home and warned Mazloom. So the attack was not an spontaneous reaction, but a preplanned murder.

She had also mentioned, “Mazloom and his partners- Azad and Nizamuddin used to buy oxen from one village fair and sell at another. They had decided to quit the business, after the constant threats he kept getting. However, since a certain number of oxen had already been purchased selling them and starting afresh was the only way out. But, even before the business could be wrapped up the duo had been brutally killed.”

Besides Arun and Bunty Sahu, Vishal Tiwari, Mithilesh Kumar, Sahdeo Soni, Pramod Sahu, Avdhesh Sahu and Manoj Kumar accused in the case have been convicted under under section 302, and 201.

Vishal Tiwari, a para-teacher, was a suspended for a few days. However, he had resumed his job later.

Now, 33 months later all the accused were pronounced guilty by Additional District and Session Judge Rashikesh Kumar.

“We want death sentences for all the killers. They should be hanged till death, the way in which they killed my brother and a small boy,” said Manauwar Ansari, who has fought a long battle to get justice.

Informat lawyer, Abdul Salam, told eNewsroom, “We presented 11 witnesses in the case, and it is a strong one. For two of the accused, Arun and Bunty Sahu, there is a strong chance of the court awarding death sentences for them. They have criminal records too.”

The court fixed Thursday only to pronounce its verdict. The verdict is of great importance as 12 more people have been lynched to death in Jharkhand after the Latehar lynching case.