Five men have been arrested and two police officers suspended amid outrage across the country over the fatal mob attack on a man in Jharkhand last week. The police are on the lookout for at least one more person accused of beating 24-year-old Tabrez Ansari last Tuesday for allegedly stealing a motorcycle.
Tabrez Ansari was going home to Saraikela-Kharsawan’s Karsova from Jamshedpur along with some friends on Tuesday, when they were attacked by a mob barely 5 km from home, a relative said.
Accused of stealing a two-wheeler, Tabrez was tied to a pole and beaten for hours. Videos of the beating that have been widely circulated show his attackers forcing him to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman”. He was handed over to the police only when he fell unconscious. He was declared dead when he was brought to a hospital on Saturday, after four days in police custody.
His family has alleged that despite their appeals, the police had not arranged for proper treatment of Tabrez, that they were not allowed to meet him, and that he died long before he was taken to a hospital. The family has demanded action against all concerned, including the police and the doctors.
“He was mercilessly beaten as he was Muslim. I don’t have anybody, no in-laws. My husband was my only support. I want justice,” Shahista Parveen, Tabrez’s wife said.
Amid widespread anger across the country over the incident, the police have now admitted to lapses and formed a special investigation team. Two officers Chandramohan Oraon and Bipin Bihari have been suspended for “not reporting the seriousness of the issue to the higher authorities” and “register a case of lynching on the very same day”, a government statement said.
NationalDesk Report-GTM
