Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday questioned the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in the Palghar mob-lynching incident and urged the state government to set up a high-level enquiry into the incident, in which three people, of which two were sadhus, were lynched on Thursday night in Gadchinchle village of Palghar, Maharashtra.
Taking to Twitter, Fadnavis wrote, "Seeing the visuals that have come out, Palghar incident of mob lynching is shocking & inhuman. It is more disturbing especially when we are going through such tough times otherwise too. I urge the State Government to immediately set up a High Level Enquiry and ensure that people who are responsible for this are brought to justice at the earliest."
BJP spokesperson Jay Panda said, "Horrific video of a mob lynching in cops’ presence in #Palghar Maharashtra, run by @OfficeofUT whr a few days ago a cop & doctor had been assaulted. Media downplayed, said “mistaken suspicion as robbers” & suppressed that they were in Hindu religious robes. Why this hypocrisy?"
BJP Mahila Morcha's National Incharge of Social Media, Priti Gandhi, said that Uddhav Thackeray owes an explaination. She wrote, "Not in my wildest dream did I imagine that under @ShivSena, sadhus wearing 'bhagwa vastra' would be lynched in broad daylight & a lame attempt would be made to pass it off as 'theft'! You owe an explanation @officeofUT, if to no one else, atleast to Balasaheb Thackeray!
Three men, including a 70-year-old, were lynched on Thursday night allegedly by over 100 people who suspected them of theft in Gadchinchle village of Palghar, Maharashtra.
"The preliminary reports suggest that these three had come from Kandivali and were on their way to Surat (in Gujarat). They were declared brought dead at the hospital. About 110 villagers were brought to police station for questioning," said Collector Kailash Shinde on Friday.
He also said that the villagers can be seen with stones in their hands in a clip of the incident which surfaced later. And that they even broke the windows of the car of the deceased men.
The villagers also attacked the police personnel when they tried to stop them and the personnel sustained injuries in the incident, he said.
Reportedly, rumours of a gang stealing children had gone viral throughout the area in the last few days. The crowd is believed to have suspected that the three men belonged to the gang and attacked them.
"I want to appeal to everyone to not believe in rumours. No one is coming to steal from your village or take your child's kidneys. Villagers have taken the matter into their hands and we will take necessary action," Shinde added.
The three men who were killed have been identified as Sushil Giri Maharaj (35), Nilesh Telgane (35) and Chikane Maharaj Kalpavrikshgiri (70). Two of them were sadhus. According a report in NDTV, they were travelling towards Surat to attend the funeral of a common acquaintance.
