Twenty people have been arrested in connection with last week’s lynching of seven persons in Jharkhand.
State Home Secretary SK G Rahate said a probe has been ordered into the two incidents of vigilantism in Rajnagar in Seraikela-Kharswan district and Nagadih in Jamshedpur, that claimed four and three lives respectively.
The lynchings were allegedly sparked by suspicions that the victims were child lifters.
18 persons were arrested today in connection with the lynching incident at Nagadih on May 18, and the subsequent violence on May 20.
The other two were held yesterday in connection with the lynching of four persons of a community in Seraikela-Kharswan.
Rahate told mediapersons in Ranchi that social media sites are being monitored and a WhatsApp group admin has been questioned.
The report of the probe, to be conducted by the Kolhan division commissioner and DIG, would be submitted within a month, he said, adding that an FIR has also been lodged.
He said the incidents were triggered purely by rumours and villagers, in an act of vigilantism, took the law into their lands.
A Jamshedpur report quoting an official release said the Kolhan DIG Prabhat Kumar has been asked by the home department to suspend the officers-in-charge of Rajnagar police station and Bagbera police station with immediate effect.