Is Jharkhand a Failed State? 22nd Mob Lynching Case Under Raghubar Govt
Mubarak Ansari, the 22nd victim of mob lynching in Jharkhand
Ranchi: Mubarak Ansari, 48, is the 22nd mob lynching victim in Jharkhand, while Akhtar Ansari, 26, has survived despite receiving serious injuries from a mob thrashing. He is undergoing treatment in a hospital in Bokaro district of Jharkhand.
Mubarak and Akhtar were accused of stealing a battery from a truck in Govindpur colony of Bokaro. The two hail from a village close by. On November 5, the duo were intercepted by the owners of a truck in Govindpur, when they were allegedly whisking away a truck battery. Following which, the owners invited several other residents, who tied Mubarak to a pole and began to mercilessly beat the two.
“We were mercilessly beaten from midnight to early morning of November 6. Only after some villagers from my village crossed by and identified us, they called our village Sadar (local committee president), who informed the police,” said Akhtar in a written complaint to the police. Akhtar, who is at present undergoing treatment, also mentioned in the FIR that Mubarak succumbed to the injuries which he sustained due to mob lynching.
Like other lynching cases, in this case too, the entire episode of Mubarak and Akhtar being lynched was recorded on camera. Female voices could also be heard inciting the mob and also demanding for a compensation.
Bokaro police have arrested four accused including a woman, who has been named in the FIR lodged by Akhtar.
The lynching of Mubarak is the latest one in the long list of at least 22 lynching cases that have taken place in Jharkhand under the Raghubar Das-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. People have been lynched sometimes on the basis of alleged stealing charges, sometimes for transporting beef and cows, and in other cases for child lifting or theft. And, mostly members of minority communities, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes (particularly dalits) have been victims of these heinous crimes that have been taking place in Jharkhand, over these three years.
The recent case of Tabrez Ansari had been reported in international news and the issue was even raised in the United Nations and in its Security Council.
However, only in two cases (Alimuddin Ansari of Ramgarh and Mazloom Ansari of Latehar), conviction of the accused took place at the lower courts.
Meanwhile, it is not hidden that those who had killed Alimuddin are on bail now and have even been felicitated by the Hazaribagh MP Jayant Sinha.
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