Two arrested after Jharkhand man lynched for ‘sexually harassing' woman
A 24-year-old man was allegedly lynched by a mob on suspicion of sexually harassing a woman in Paik Narayanpur village of Bokaro district Thursday. The police have confirmed two arrests so far.
Abdul Kalam, a daily-wage construction worker employed at a site about 4 km from Paik Narayanpur, was allegedly attacked by a group of around 15-20 people following allegations that he had harassed a woman.
Both the man and the woman are from the same area, according to sources.
Kalam's cousin, Mohammed Iqbal, said he was the sole caregiver for his mother, a woman with physical disabilities. 'He was working to support his mother, who is fully dependent on him. Despite the viral video clearly showing more than 15 people, the police have arrested only two. That too, under public pressure,' Iqbal said.
Another local resident, Mohammad Jalaluddin, said Kalam was tied up and beaten unconscious after the woman's accusation. 'He was left lying in the sun. It was only after the incident was reported to the local police station that he was rushed to the hospital. However, he died before reaching the facility,' Jalaluddin said.
The video, which has since gone viral, shows a mob purportedly hitting Kalam with sticks and kicking him while forcing him to confess. In the footage, Kalam is seen begging for water.
The video has not been independently verified by The Indian Express and is yet to be set for a forensic analysis, as is mandated by Supreme Court guidelines.
Bokaro Superintendent of Police Manoj Swargiary confirmed the arrests and said further action would be taken in line with directions from the Police Headquarters (PHQ). 'The man was wrong. People alleged that he harassed a woman. There is no need to send the video to the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory), as we are identifying the suspects using the video itself,' he said.
When asked whether a nodal officer, as mandated by the Supreme Court in mob lynching cases, had been appointed, Swargiary said that all procedures were being followed 'legally under PHQ (police headquarters) guidance'.
Shubham Tigga hails from Chhattisgarh and studied journalism at the Asian College of Journalism. He previously reported in Chhattisgarh on Indigenous issues and is deeply interested in covering socio-political, human rights, and environmental issues in mainland and NE India.
Presently based in Pune, he reports on civil aviation, other transport sectors, urban mobility, the gig economy, commercial matters, and workers' unions.
You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More
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