Amid Lockdown, Villagers Lynch Three on Suspicion of Being Robbers in Maharashtra; 100 Detained

Palghar: Three persons were lynched and some policemen were injured by a huge mob outside Gandchinchle village after they were suspected to be robbers, the police said here on Friday.

At least three vehicles, including two belonging to police, were damaged in the incident and additional forces were rushed to the site to control the situation.

According to an official, the three victims, including the driver, were proceeding from Nashik to Mumbai when they were accosted by the mob and questioned.

The driver managed to summon police, who rushed to the spot on the Dhabade-Khanvel Road, said Anandrao Kale of Kasa police station. The officers took the trio into the police van for inquiry even as the crowd protested and demanded action against "the robbers".

The mob, said to be around 200, outnumbered the police personnel and soon started assaulting the three victims with stones, sticks and other objects.

The three men were identified as Sushilgiri Maharaj, Chikne Maharaj and the driver, Nilesh Telgade. They were later pronounced dead and their bodies were sent for autopsy to a local government hospital, said a Palghar police spokesperson.

Some policemen were also injured in the incident. By Friday evening, over a 100 men were detained and investigation is underway.

The Kasa Police have registered offences of murder, armed rioting, violating prohibitory orders besides invoking sections of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and Epidemic Diseases Act.

The district authorities, including Collector Kailas Shinde and Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh, have briefed the state government on the incident.

The district police followed up by issuing public appeals to the villagers, urging them not to resort to violence against any unidentifed persons visiting the village but immediately inform the police.

The latest incident came three days after the vehicle of a prominent medic, Vishwas Salvi, was similarly attacked when he was proceeding to conduct thermal screening of villagers and distribute relief food materials.

In that incident, four policemen were injured, and later a dozen people were arrested.