On April 18, Horrifying incident took place in Gadchinchale village of Palghar in Mumbai. Three people, including two Sadhus, lynched to death. They were attacked and killed on Thursday night after fake rumors they were kidnapping children to harvest organs, including kidneys.
More than 100 people are involved in this incident with some police officials. The three people were attacked and brutally killed by the local mobs in front of the police. The people involved in the lynching got arrested. The police officials who failed to prevent the crime from being committed to having been suspended.
Collector Kailas Shinde said, “They were brought dead in the hospital. About 110 villagers have been brought to police stations for questioning. Further investigation is underway.”
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackrey ordered a high-level investigation and assured that the culprits will be brought to justice.
Mob of more than 100 people attacked the trio
The incident took place on Thursday night. Incident video got viral on the internet. The visuals in the video were horrifying. The trio including a 70-year-old man got attacked by a mob of more than 100 people. The mob brutally beat the Sadhus in front of police.
The three people with the lockdown permission were travelling to Nashik in a car to attend a funeral. Based on the fake rumors of thieves mob got triggered. The maniac crowd stopped the car and violently dragged out three of them. Without even asking their actual identity, they started beating them.
In the three people, two were Hindu Sadhus and one was the driver of the rental car. The three deceased have been identified as Sushil Giri Maharaj, Jayesh and Naresh Yalgade, residents of the Kandivali suburb of Mumbai.
Local police statement
According to the local police they reached the spot as early as possible. They were unable to control the crowd as they were outnumbered. The police failed to save the lives of three people and they were lynched to death. The maniac crowd attacked the police vehicles also.
110 ppl have been arrested in this case out of which 9 are juvenile. 101 people have been remanded in police custody till 30th while 9 have been sent to juvenile home. Further investigation is going on in the matter. An enquiry has also been initiated to look into the incident.
— Palghar Police (@Palghar_Police) April 19, 2020
Legal Actions are taken
After the incident more then 100 people were arrested and some police officials got suspended.
Days after three men were lynched to death by a group of villagers in Palghar district of Maharashtra on suspicion that they were thieves, the Inspector General of Police, Konkan Range, Niket Kaushik on Monday suspended the police station in-charge under whose jurisdiction the incident took place on April 16 and another cop for alleged dereliction of duty.
CM of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackrey ordered a high-level investigation and assured that the culprits will be brought to justice.
On Apil 20, news flashed that the CID will investigate the whole incident. All the facts and figures will be investigated.
CM Uddhav on April 20 addressed the state after Palghar mob lunching-
CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray addressing the State https://t.co/IicTWk6t7w
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020
CM Tweets
CM Uddhav Thackrey tweets thread-
The Palghar incident has been acted upon. The police has arrested all those accused who attacked the 2 sadhus, 1 driver and the police personnel, on the day of the crime itself.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 19, 2020
Nobody guilty in this heinous crime and shameful act will be spared and they will be brought to justice in the strongest way possible.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 19, 2020
This happened in Palghar district, around 110km away from Palghar, on the border of Dadra Nagar Haveli, a union territory. The two sadhus were travelling to Gujarat through a remote area, as there were curbs on the main roads.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020
They were stopped at the border and asked to leave. On their way back, they were stopped due to a misunderstanding in this remote area, and unfortunately, were killed. There were rumours that thieves were moving around there.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020
After the incident, over 100 accused were nabbed and five kingpins arrested. Nine minors have been sent to remand homes and a manhunt is on for others. The Government will not spare anyone.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020
Those trying to inflame passions, must desist from doing so. There is no Hindu-Muslim angle or communalism in this attack. Two policemen were suspended immediately. The CID Crime will inquire into this incident and DGP Atul Kulkarni will lead the probe
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020
Do not try to create misunderstandings. I spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji. Amitji knows there is no communal angle here. I told him we must search for all those fanning passions on social media.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020
These people do not suffer during the aftermath of their actions. They must be located and nabbed soon. I have also given instructions to the State Government. Mob lynchings will not be tolerated in Maharashtra.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020
People Condemned the Attack
Devendra Fadnavis
Starting with the reaction of former CM of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis. He tweeted on Twitter.
… ensure that people who are responsible for this are brought to justice at the earliest.
(2/2)— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 19, 2020
Maharashtra Deputy CM Anil Deshmukh
On the same day, Maharashtra Deputy CM Anil Deshmukh said the state government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the Palghar mob lynching incident. Warning against giving any communal colour to the Palghar incident, the Maharashtra Deputy CM said the police keeping a watch on those who wanted to use this incident to create disturbance in the society.
पालघर की घटना बहुत दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है। मामले में 101 लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है और उच्च स्तरीय जांच जारी है। जब पूरा देश कोरोना से लड़ रहा है, कुछ लोग इस घटना को गलत मोड़ देने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं, जो सही नहीं है।#LawAndOrderAboveAll#WarAgainstVirus pic.twitter.com/PVqywq0XR0
— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) April 20, 2020
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted on twitter-
“Spoke to Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray yesterday evening regarding the murder of saints of Juna Akhara Swami Kalpvrikshgiri, Swami Sushilgiri and their driver Neelesh Telgarhe. I have urged him to take strict action against the culprits,” Adityanath said in a tweet in Hindi.
पालघर,महाराष्ट्र में हुई जूना अखाड़ा के सन्तों स्वामी कल्पवृक्ष गिरि जी, स्वामी सुशील गिरि जी व उनके ड्राइवर नीलेश तेलगड़े जी की हत्या के सम्बन्ध में कल शाम महाराष्ट्र के मुख्यमंत्री श्री उद्धव ठाकरे जी से बात की और घटना के जिम्मेदार तत्वों के खिलाफ कठोर कार्रवाई हेतु आग्रह किया।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) April 20, 2020
Ministry of Home Affairs, Amit Shah
Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday asked the report from the Maharashtra government on the Palghar mob lynching incident. Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray over the horrifying incident, the video of which has gone viral on social media.