Family members of cattle traders --- Majlum Ansari and Imtiaz Khan -- allegedly lynched to death in latehar on March 16 by a group of people, today did not turn up to meet Chief Minister Raghubar Das and receive compensation announced by him on March 22. The family members had declined the invitation extended to them by Das asking the CM himself to come down to the place and witness the ground reality.
Family members of Majlum and Imitiaz were scheduled to visit Ranchi on Friday to meet the CM. The officials of the CM Secretariat however, said that their visit was postponed due to ‘jumma.’
“They said that they will not be able to visit Ranchi on Jumma and have sought some more time to think over it. The offer of compensation is always at its place as they can come and receive the compensation anytime. We are still open to the idea,” said Principal Secretary to CM Sanjay Kumar.
latehar DC Ravishanker Shukla also asserted that the victim’s kin have asked for some more time. “In the mean time, they also want to consult the elders in the community. CO of the area was asked to take them to Ranchi to receive the compensation from the Chief Minister but the day being Friday, they said that they will come along with him some other day,” said Ravishanker Shukla.
According to family members, the promised compensation of Rs one lakh was not going to help them in sustaining their families; they demanded at east Rs 50 lakh to make their ends meet. “The CM should come and witness for himself the ground reality in the villages,” said one of the family members.
Before the refusal came on Tuesday, CM Das had announced compensations worth Rs one lakh each to the families of the two victims, along with instructions to district officials in latehar to handover the ex-gratia amount on the same day. He also invited them to meet him in Ranchi on March 25.
Following orders, latehar Deputy Commissioner Ravi Kant Shukla, Superintendent of Police Anoop Birthare and a delegation of administrative officials visited the villages to deliver the promised compensation to the kin of the deceased and inform them about the invitation from the CM.
According to Police, eight persons were identified for heinous crime at Jhaber, out of which 5 persons -- Manoj Kumar Sao, Awadesh Kumar Sao, Pramod Sahu, Mithilesh Kumar Sao and Manoj Sahu were arrested within 24 hours time. Remaining three persons -- Sahdeo Soni, Vishal Tiwari and Arun Sao went underground but following tremendous police pressure, they surfaced and surrendered before the court.
Mazloom and Imtiaz were caught by a mob in Balumath area of latehar at 2 am on March 16, beaten to death and hanged from a tree in a ghastly spectacle that shocked the nation. The villagers blocked NH-99, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and compensation to bereaved families. The mob also attacked Balumath police
station.
latehar SDO and over half a dozen police personnel were also injured in stone-pelting, following which the police also had to fire in the air and impose lathicharge to disperse crowed.