By Shweta Sengar / India Times
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday ordered the transfer of the local superintendent of police in connection with the lynching of two tribal men in Seoni by a mob that accused them of cow slaughter.
Sampat Bhatti, a resident of Sagar village, and Dhansa Inwati of Simaria village were assaulted by a mob of 15-20 people, allegedly belonging to the Bajrang Dal, in the early hours of May 3, resulting in their deaths later in the day.
A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said Chouhan had ordered the transfer of Seoni Superintendent of Police Kumar Prateek and also directed that a Special Investigation Team be set up to probe the incident. The entire staff of Kurai police station and Badalpur police post, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place, have been removed on the orders of the CM, it added.
Chouhan also said the accused have been arrested, compensation had been disbursed to the kin of the two deceased, and jobs to legal heirs were being arranged. Meanwhile, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath said the CM took action under pressure from the opposition party and the state’s tribals.
The state government was trying to whitewash the killings and give a clean chit to the administration, Nath alleged, adding the guilty officials should be suspended and a high-level inquiry must be constituted in place of the SIT. He also claimed outfits associated with the BJP were behind the incident.
An official said a special team that includes Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora, Additional Director General (ADG) of Police Akheto Sema and Shrikant Bhanot, Secretary, MP Board of Secondary Education has been constituted to look into this incident and submit a report on how these can be prevented. The team will arrive on a two-day visit on Monday, he said.
The 40-year-old caretaker of a farmhouse in Dwarka’s Chhawla area of South West Delhi was attacked by a group of cow vigilantes in April after rumors spread that a cow was being slaughtered there.
Rajaram who was rushed to a hospital succumbed to his injuries later.
According to his wife Jhaso Devi, Rajaram was targeted “by locals” for no reason. “My husband is innocent. All he did for earning extra is selling cow milk to nearby villagers and run a battery rickshaw which was taken on rent,” she said.
“He had been sick for over a year owing to a liver-related ailment for which he was seeking treatment. He had never indulged in cow slaughter or any illegal activities,” Devi told PTI.
She said her 16-year-old son is the only breadwinner of the family now and had recently started working at a gaushala. The family of Rajaram, who was beaten to death by a group of gau rakshaks in Delhi has denied allegations that he was involved in cattle slaughter and selling beef.
This article first appeared on indiatimes.com
