Jharkhand Mob Lynching: Five arrested; 2 police officers suspended

Ranchi, June 24: Eleven people were arrested on Monday in the alleged mob lynching case where a young man was beaten to death by the locals in Saraikela, Jharkhand. He was beaten up mercilessly for over 18 hours before being handed over to the police. He succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital on June 22.

Several videos of the Jharkhand mob lynching have gone viral where a man is seen hitting Tabrez Ansari with a wooden stick as the latter begs him to let him go.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das has ordered a probe by a Special Investigation Team into the matter. He has also suspended the Saraikela police officer-in-charge with immediate effect.

The victim, identified as Shams Tabrez, was first admitted at a local hospital for a preliminary check-up and later he was locked up in Seraikela jail in Jharkhand. After his condition worsened, Tabrez was taken to Sadar hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.

Tabrez Ansari worked in Pune as a welder and a labourer and had come to his village in Jharkhand's Kharsawan district to celebrate Eid with his family. His family had also arranged his wedding during his visit.

His family has alleged that the attack was communal and he was made to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Jai Hanuman'.

"Some locals thrashed Tabrez and later handed him over to the police. He was suspected of theft but it was a communal attack. He was beaten because he had a Muslim name. They made him chant 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Jai Hanuman'. We were not allowed to meet him at the hospital. We have the video of the incident. I demand the culprits be arrested," Tabrez's relative Maqsood Alam said.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered and further investigation is underway, police said.