A man accused of killing peacocks was thrashed by a mob in Lasudiya Atri village in Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh on Friday. The victim, identified as Hiralal Banchada, suffered critical injuries and died of his wounds in hospital. The shocking incident comes only two days after three men, from the same district, were stripped and beaten for allegedly stealing a goat. In all, at least three cases of mob-related violence have been reported from the state in as many days.
“Someone informed the Dial 100 emergency service of the state police about the incident. A police team rushed to the village and brought the critically injured man to the hospital, where he died later,” Rakesh Sagar, Superintendent of Neemuch district, said.
Ten men, nine of whom have already been arrested, have been booked for murder and rioting, and also under relevant provisions of the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act.
A separate case has been registered for killing peacocks against the victim, his son Rahul, and two others, who are absconding, under the Wildlife Protection Act.
The hunting and killing of the peacock, India’s national bird, is prohibited by law. According to the Indian Forest Act of 1972, those found guilty under this law can be jailed for up to seven years.
The incident happened around 9 pm in an area under the jurisdiction of the Kukdeshwar Police Station, after villagers saw four men running through agricultural fields. They chased and caught one man – Hiralal Banchada – and found four dead peacocks in his possession.
The mob then thrashed him and left him lying, critically injured, in the fields.
On Thursday, a mentally challenged man was beaten up in Raisen district on suspicion of kidnapping children. He was found unconscious in Aklapur village and admitted to a hospital in Bhopal, where he died yesterday. The police are still searching for the accused
On the day before that, swift action by Dewas police district saved the life of a mentally challenged woman who was thrashed after also being suspected of kidnapping children. The police have lodged a case against villagers accused of attempting to kill her.
