Land deals at Nagadih under scanner, probe team to unearth details

Jamshedpur, May 27 : As the government appointed probe team reaches at crucial stage of
investigation, sources informed that the team is focusing on the land deal that is suspected to be the reason behind gruesome killings.

�During investigation we found that rumours on child lifting was used an alibi to lynch the youths at both the places by vested interest groups with some ulterior motives bent on disturbing peace of the society.

We have recorded statements of victims and residents at the affected area and also collected civil administration and police official statements on both the incidents,� said Kolhan commissioner Pradeep Kumar who head the two member probe team (other member is DIG Kolhan Prabhat Kumar).

Sources informed that details have been sought from district land revenue unit on land transfers that have taken place in the Nagadih and nearby villages and the proportion of CNT land and CNT-free land available in the area.
Three youths Vikash Verma, Gautam Verma (both brothers) and their friend Gangesh Gupta were lynched by the Nagadih villagers on May 18 night while an elderly lady Ramsati Devi (grandmother of Vikash and Gautam) was grievously injured by the mob suspecting them to be child-lifters.

The team visited Nagadih in Bagbera where three youths were lynched on suspicion of child lifter. After speaking to villagers and visiting the site of the lynching the team left for Ramketri Road in Jugsalai and spoke with the Uttam Verma, who managed to escape from the lynching site (while two of his brothers Vikas and Gautam were lynched).
Pradeep Kumar said that the statements of all persons would be verified with the details provided by the administration before coming to any conclusion.

The focus of the team is on land trade. Sources informed that Illegal land trade and its misuse for monetary gains is fast emerging as an organised crime in the city with certain dominant persons allegedly involved in it. Despite claims by the authorities, larger parts in the city are still under control of several unscrupulous persons.