Jamshedpur: Acting tough against the culprits of the lynching incident in Bagbera and Rajnagar, police arrested four more persons on Wednesday. The total number of arrests made in the twin incidents has gone up to 11 so far.
Jamshedpur police arrested three persons from Bagbera police station area this morning while Seraikela-Kharsawan police arrested one JL Mahto, resident of Shosomauli village in Rajnagar block.
Earlier, police had arrested five persons involved in Nagadih lynching and two involved in Rajnagar lynching. Those arrested in Nagadih lynching were identified as Jagdish Sardar (32) and Ranjit Sardar, both brothers and Jawaharlal Sardar (25), all residents of Ghaghidih in Bagbera.
The police arrested the accused persons, all said to be contract workers, by raiding their houses in Sundarnagar police station area close to Nagadih village. The assailants were hiding at their relatives� house fearing apprehension.
The OC of Bagbera police station, Rajesh Ranjan, said except Rahul Sardar who was arrested on Tuesday, all those arrested were not named in the FIR.
“We are looking for more suspects. We are confident that all those involved in the killings will have to face action as per the law. So far we have arrested eight persons in connection with the Nagadih lynching incident, but only one of them, Rahul Sardar, was a named accused. The other accused were arrested after interrogation of the suspects,” said the OC. He said there were 17 named accused in the FIR altogether.
When questioned over the slow pace of arresting, Ranjan, said the relatives of the accused persons, especially female members were hindering police action.
“The women in tribal dominated Sundarnagar police station area are not cooperating with us. We are thinking of taking action against the house-owners where those wanted in Nagadih lynching incident had taken shelter,” said the officer-in-charge.
The police recovered a burnt police bike from Nagadih where mob had set it on fire following a clash with police on 18th May night soon after they lynched three youths.
The superintendent of police, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Rakesh Bansal said that Mahto, absconding since the past five days, had returned to his house and as the police got to know about it, they arrested him. The accused was sent to Seraikela divisional jail after producing him before a judicial magistrate at the Seraikela civil court.
Bansal said Mahto is one of the 21 accused in the lynching incident at Rajnagar where four cattle traders were lynched in the name of being child-lifters on May 18.
