After a month of struggle, Ramsakhi Devi (76), survivor of ill-fated Nagadih lynching incident succumbed to her injury at the wee hours of Monday. She fought till her last breath at the critical care unit (CCU) of Tata Main Hospital. With her death, the lynching toll figure on May 18 incidents rose to eight.
Devi had rushed to the rescue of her grandsons Vikas and Gautam Kumar Verma along with another youth Gangesh Gupta while they were being lynched by the mob at Nagadih on May 18 night, and got herself assaulted by the mob died of injuries and multiple organ failure.
Ramsakhi who was admitted in TMH on May 18 with multiple fractures and head injury was shifted to CCU of the hospital on June 3 after her condition deteriorated and had been on ventilator since then.
Uttam Kumar Verma, the youngest grandson of Ramsakhi Devi, who escaped being lynched on May the death report released by the hospital said she died of multiple organ failure.
Four cattle traders were lynched on suspicion of being child lifters at Rajnagar in Seraikela-Kharsawan district on May 18 morning and on the same day night three youths were lynched again on suspicion of being child lifters at Nagadih in Bagbera in East Singhbhum.
“We are really saddened over her demise. Her death has again revised the pangs of that frightful night that we witnessed. We had hoped that she would get well. It has been three deaths in our family in a span of a month,” said Uttam Kumar Verma (23), a resident of Ramtekri Road in Jugsalai.
Verma was present with his brothers and managed to escape from the lynch mob. Uttam’s father, Manik Chandra Prasad, however said that the last rites would be held at Shiv Ghat in Jugsalai as both the deceased brothers were also cremated at the same spot.
However, the family members are not happy over the role of the administration and the political leaders. “It is really shocking that none of the political leaders came to visit us. The government had only sent us compensation (Rs 2 lakh for deceased and Rs 50,000 for injured) which we returned. Even the chief minister Raghubar Das who stayed in city for several days did not bother to visit us. Our letters to Prime Minister has also not evinced any reply. Even the main accused (Nagadih mukhiya Rajaram Hansda) is yet to be arrested. We are not satisfied with the action of the administration and the government so far," said a family member.
Three youths Vikash Verma, Gautam Verma (both brothers) and their friend Gangesh Gupta were lynched by the Nagadih villagers on May 18 night while an elderly lady Devi (grandmother of Vikash an Gautam) was grievously injured by the mob suspecting them to be child-lifters.