The men accused of lynching three men in Palghar have been arrested and are in jail, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said today. The Chief Minister also said he has spoken to Union home minister Amit Shah and assured him that he would look into the case. More than 100 people were taken into custody after the horrific attack on Thursday night at a spot barely 125 km from the country’s financial capital Mumbai.
“The Palghar incident has been acted upon. The police has arrested all those accused who attacked the 2 sadhus, 1 driver and the police personnel, on the day of the crime itself.
“Nobody guilty in this heinous crime and shameful act will be spared and they will be brought to justice in the strongest way possible,” the CM said in late-night tweets posted from Twitter handle @CMOMaharashtra.
The incident occurred on April 16 night when three men from Kandivali in Mumbai were headed towards Surat in a car to attend a funeral. The deceased were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35), and their car driver Nilesh Telgade (30).
Indicating that the three men were attacked as a result of mistaken identity, the Chief Minister said the villagers heard rumours about the presence of thieves in the area and thought they were the culprits.”Don’t make it communal. There is no communal angle involved,” he said.
He further added saying “ I am telling this with complete humility and with full responsibility, there is no communal incident in his. It happened due to a misunderstanding. There were rumours being circulated (of child lifters). .. The police too were beaten up”
“ The Dadar Nagar Haveli authorities perhaps should not have turned them away and should have in stead kept them or sent them home during the day break, there should have been co ordination,” he said.
The chief minister said the state government would not tolerate any attempt to give the incident a communal colour and said that that the government is keeping a watch on those who “are trying to light a communal fire” to this incident.
Surjitt sahani
