Indore: “Send help or we will not be alive. These people are beating us and will kill us. They are also talking of burning us alive.”
Jagdish Sharma, one of the victims of the mob lynching that took place on Wednesday in Manawar, made this desperate call to his friend Vikram Patel at about 10.30 am on Wednesday while running for his life.
“We were taken aback after listening to his words and didn’t understand what to do. We immediately called Dial 100 and also other friends and family members to go and save them,” Patel said while waiting outside the Choithram Hospital where of the four injured have been admitted.
He said that he was frightened for Jagdish as he could hear on the phone that people were shouting, ‘kill them’, ‘kill them’.
Along with Vikram, a large number of relatives, friends and villagers reached Choithram Hospital on Thursday to see the four victims.
“My brother Ravindra Patel and his friends Vinod Mukati, Jagdish Sharma, Narendra Sharma, Ganesh Khasi, and Jagdish Poonam Chand Sharma had gone to take back the money they had given to some labourers,” Vikram said.
It was a planned attack: Nephew
Nephew of Narendra Sharma, Yogesh Sharma alleged that it was a planned attack on my uncle and his friends as the accused were calling them for last three days for returning their money.
“They were calling for the last three days. It was a planned attack by them and the rumour of child lifter gang was a conspiracy,” Yogesh alleged.
He said that the accused didn’t even allow them to move out of their car and started pelting stones on them. The accused snatched money, mobile phones and purse from them.
“Only Jagdish Poonam Chand had a phone at the time of the incident and he informed us about the incident. He called and told us that they would be killed,” Yogesh said adding “Police and administration should take stern action against them and should arrest all those involved in killing them.”
Ganesh was the only breadwinner in the family
According to villagers, Ganesh Khasi, who died in the mob lynching, was the only breadwinner in the family.
“Ganesh’s father died of cancer a few years ago and he was the only breadwinner and his survived by his mother, wife, and his two-and-half-year-old daughter,” villagers said. Ganesh’s last rites were performed at his village on Thursday and sports minister Jitu Patwari too participated in his funeral.
Out of five victims who were referred to Indore, four have been admitted to Choithram Hospital and Jagdish Sharma was discharged on Wednesday night.
All patients are stable but under observation: Docs
According to Dr Amit Bhatt, deputy director (medical services) Choithram Hospital, four patients Jagdish Sharma (42), Vinod Mukati (45), Narendra Sharma (42), and Ravindra Patel (35) are admitted to the ICU of the hospital.
“Condition of all the patients is stable. As they have head injuries, we have kept them under observation. We can comment about their condition only after another 24 hours,” Dr Bhatt said.
Strict action would be taken against the accused: Silawat
Health minister Tulsi Silawat reached Choithram Hospital on Thursday morning to meet the victims of mob lynching incident.
“It is a shameful incident. Chief Minister also expressed his concern over the incident and directed that strict action be taken against the accused. An SIT has been constituted,” Silawat said adding “Along with victim’s treatment, we are giving Rs 2 lakh compensation to the deceased’s family.”
On the question of police’s inaction, he said that the investigation is going on and the government will take action against all those responsible.
Don’t play politics everywhere: Patwari to Shivraj
Sports minister Jitu Patwari too reached Choithram Hospital to meet the victims on Thursday morning.
Along with directing the hospital administration to provide every possible treatment to them, he also targeted former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for his statement of calling ‘Jungle Raj’ in the state.
“It was unfortunate that Shivraj Singh has started playing politics in this unfortunate incident. I want to tell him not to do politics everywhere and show that you are a good leader. Shivraj should see his social media as to how people are spreading hate through his posts.”
Patwari also added that the incident was shameful and the government will take all actions to stop such incidents.
On the question of involvement of BJP supported sarpanch in the case, Patwari said that accused doesn’t have any ideology or party.
State turned into Taliban: Jirati
BJP leader Jitu Jirati said that Taliban like conditions are prevailing in the state.
“It was not the first incident as various other such incidents have taken place earlier as well. These people had gone to take their own money but were attacked brutally by the crowd. Most surprising was that the victims had informed police earlier but the cops didn’t support them due to which such incident took place,” he said.
On the question of involvement of BJP Sarpanch, he said that whosoever involved in it should be punished, but not without investigation. “Congress government has started the blame game,” he added.
