After four persons - Sheikh Naim (35), Sheikh Sajju (25), Sheikh Siraj (26) and Sheikh Halim (28) - were lynched by villagers at Rajnagar in Seraikela-Kharsawan on May 18, the DSP (City) Animesh Nathani conducted a flag march at Nagadih, where five sections of armed police were deployed in order to prevent any untoward incident.
The body of Sheikh Halim was recovered today.
Significantly, the police traced the body of Sheikh Halim (28) from Dangodungri, a hillock behind Shobhapur this morning. SP, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Rakesh Bansal, who is camping at Rajnagar said that from the condition of the body it seemed that Halim, a resident of Haldipokhar, who went missing during a mob assault, at Rajnagar had been lynched at the Dangodungri.
Notably, on Thursday the Rajnagar villagers had lynched three persons, Sheikh Naim, Sheikh Sajju and Sheikh Siraj, all cattle traders, on suspecting them to be child-lifters.
SP Seraikela-Kharsawan also said that 21 villagers have been identified as culprits in the Rajnagar lynching. Police are searching for more.
ADP (operations), R. K Mallick, who visited city today and held meeting with senior police officials today, said that a mass awareness drive would be launched at all the rural police stations in East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan district.
“We have studied the situation. We will be spreading the public messages not only through mass media but also through public amplifiers. All the police station officials have been asked to hold meeting with panchayati raj institution members and village chowkidars and start an awareness campaign at each village against getting influenced by such rumours of child-lifters and on suspicion about any one, immediately inform the police or toll free helpline number ‘100’.
The villagers will be asked not to take law into their hands as there has been no single incident of child lifting,” said Mallick.
Meanwhile, traffic on the busy Jugsalai-Station road was paralysed for over three hours from 9.30 am on Friday as residents from Jugsalai and Bagbera blocked the road to protest lynching of three innocent youths of these localities by villagers in Bagbera last night on suspicion of being child-lifters.
Three youths Vikash Verma, Gautam Verma (both brothers) and their friend Gangesh Gupta were lynched by the Nagadih villagers yesterday night while an elderly lady Ramsati Devi (grandmother of Vikash and Gautam) was grievously injured by the mob suspecting them to be child-lifters.
Around 200 residents, put up road the blockade demanding arrest of the culprits involved in the lynching of the youths and compensation for those injured. Several vehicles were chocked during the jam.
The irate residents also damaged few cycles and manhandled contract workers who tried to force their way through the blockade for going to their workplaces.
As the news spread the police tried to persuade the protestors but they failed to move. The agitators were pacified at around 1 pm after the SDO Dhalbhum Manoj Kumar Ranjan reached the spot and assured of compensation and arresting of culprits and lifted the blockade.
“I have assured the mob that police are conducting search operation in the village and all the culprits will be punished strictly,” said Manoj Kumar Ranjan.