Simdega police have lodged an FIR against 13 named and 200 unnamed persons for allegedly setting a former Maoist Sanju Pradhan on fire for illegally cutting and selling the Sal woods forest trees.
The named accused includes the village head Subham Budho, who is accused of having called a meeting and instigated villagers to teach a lesson to Pradhan.
“There are no arrests so far and raids are going on. The police force has been deployed in the village. Accused persons have committed a heinous crime and appropriate action will be taken,” Simdega SP Dr. Shams Tabrez.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren also has instructed the district police and the administration to take strong action in this case of mob lynching.
On Tuesday afternoon Pradhan was beaten and then set on fire by villagers at Besrajara locality under Kolebira police station of the district.Villagers accused Pradhan of illegally cutting Sal woods from the Khutkatti forest land. Khutkatti forest land is owned by the tribal community and the Sal woods are considered sacred among tribals as they worship it during different festivals. Pradhan courted the anger of villagers after the forest department on October 21 last year seized 34 logs of the Sal tree measuring 120 CFT, from his possession. The Forest department lodged a case 151/2021 against him under sections of the forest act.
On Tuesday afternoon, villagers called a meeting to punish him. Pradhan was dragged out of his house and he was beaten. The mob brought wooden logs from his house and set him on fire.
Meanwhile, police have recorded statements of Sapna Devi (wife of the deceased) and Jasmait Devi who is the mother of the deceased. They are the eyewitnesses of this case.
As per the police records, Pradhan earlier was a cadre of the banned left-wing outfit PLFI. He was charge-sheeted in three cases. But after he secured bail some years back, he did not participate in any of the Naxal activities.