Ranchi: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has issued a notice to the Director General of Police, Jharkhand and the Superintendent of Police, Gumla for the mob lynching of tribals that took place in Dumri, Gumla on April 10. During this lynching incident, one tribal was beaten to death and three had sustained severe injuries.
The notice issued by NCST has been served on the basis of the complaint filed by the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM), a coalition of progressive organizations, which defends people’s rights in Jharkhand.
Almost a month back, in Jurumi village, along the banks of River Jurumi, some Christian tribals were skinning a dead ox, they were attacked by the members of Sahu Community believing that the tribals had killed the cow and were eating its meat.
The violent mob had beaten one Prakash Lakra (50) to death and had severely injured Peter Karketta, B. Minj and J. Minj.
JJM members who had visited the family of the deceased in Jurumi village claimed that Gumla police had not acted promptly and had even delayed the treatment of the injured. The fact-finding team also got to know that the body the dead tribal man had been dragged for one kilometre, while the mob had chanted Hindu slogans.
The incident took place just a fortnight ahead of the Lohardagga Lok Sabha election under which Gumla district falls. But neither the Lohardagga Member of Parliament and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudarshan Bhagat meet the families, nor did Prime Minister Narendra Modi mention about the incident during his Lohardagga rally on April 23.
Mob lynching of minorities in the name of beef eating or cattle trading or for alleged child lifting has been rampant in Jharkhand. State law and order has failed to keep such cases under check. However, it’s not just the minorities who have been attacked there have been several cases where people from other community – like tribals have also been attacked.
Delayed action by police is also one of the reasons for the increasing number of mob lynching cases in Jharkhand. Also, the fact that the accused in these cases are patronised by the politicians has in a way encouraged the lynch mobs. The Ramgarh lynching case is a major example in which Hazaribagh MP Jayant Sinha had garlanded the killers when they had got bail from High Court.
The commission has mentioned in its letter (dated May 2) to DGP, Jharkhand and SP, Gumla that an inquiry report should be sent to them within 15 days and if they fail to do so, they might have to appear in person before the commission for the same.
