Villagers lynch three on suspicion of being thieves in Maharashtra

A group of villagers on Thursday (April 16) thrashed three unidentified persons to death in Maharashtra’s Palghar district on suspicion that they are thieves. The incident took place at a time when a lockdown is in force across the country to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Inspector Anandrao Kale of Kasa police station said the incident took place between 9.30-10 pm on Thursday. He said the identity of the trio could not be established yet.

The inspector said the victims had come from Mumbai and their car was stopped on the Dhabadi-Khanvel road near Gadchinchale village by the locals. They were pulled out of the car and attacked with stones and other objects on suspicion that they were thieves, he said.

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Police came to know about the incident in the middle of the night and rushed to the spot immediately, said Kale. They found the three lying dead and their car damaged. Their bodies have been sent to the government hospital in Palghar for post-mortem, he said.

An offence under IPC section 302 (murder) along with others, including armed rioting and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), has been registered against unidentified people, Kale said.

IPC section 188 has been invoked in the case due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown under which sweeping curbs have been imposed on movement and assembly of people. Kale said no arrest has been made so far.

(With inputs from agencies)