Two arrested for lynching youth in Jharkhand's Palamu, 6 others absconding

Medininagar (Jharkhand) Feb 23 (PTI) Two persons were arrested in connection with the alleged lynching of a youth in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, police said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Paras Mahto alias Parasnath Mehta (36) and Birendra Mahto (60), were arrested on Sunday, while others involved in the incident are still absconding.

The duo was sent to judicial custody on Monday, police said.

The incident took place in Teliyahi village within Padwa police station limits on Saturday night.

The deceased, Pawan Ram (22), was a resident of Murma village in the same police station area.

"So far, we have arrested two persons in this connection. At least eight people were involved. The victim’s father, Manoj Ram, in his written complaint named four accused. The two arrested are among them. The other six, including two named accused, are still absconding," Medininagar Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rajesh Kumar Yadav told PTI.

During investigation, key accused Parasnath allegedly admitted that on February 21, the victim had come to his house to meet a girl. When Pawan was spotted by Parasnath and the other accused, they tied his hands and feet to a wooden cot and thrashed him, along with other family members, the SDPO said.

To mislead police, they spread rumours among villagers that the victim was attempting to steal a battery from a tractor parked outside the house, following which some neighbours also joined in the assault, he said.

"It is a clear case of mob lynching," the officer said, adding that an FIR has been registered at Padwa police station under Section 103(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant provisions based on the statement of the deceased’s father.

Police have seized two sticks and three mobile phones and are conducting raids at multiple locations to nab the remaining accused, he added.

On February 16, a 45-year-old mentally challenged man was beaten to death by a group of people in Chatra district on suspicion of being a child-lifter. PTI RPS COR RPS MNB