Police sources claim he was beaten with bamboo sticks, kicked and punched (Representative image)
Advertisement
A tribal man was among three people arrested for allegedly beating a Dalit man to death on suspicion of stealing rice in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district early Sunday. While activists claim this is a case of mob lynching, police said it does not fall under the definition of the offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The incident took place around 2 am in Dumarpalli village. According to his statement to the police, the main suspect in the case, Virendra Sidar, 50, said he was awoken by some noise and saw the victim, Panchram Sarthi alias Butu, 50, sneaking into his home and trying to steal a sack of rice. Enraged, he called his neighbours, Ajay Pradhan, 42, and Ashok Pradhan,44, and together, the three of them tied Sarthi to a tree.
You’ve Read Your Free Stories For Now
Sign up and keep reading more stories that matter to you.
According to police sources, the village sarpanch alerted the police in the morning, and when a team got there at 6 am, they found Sarthi unconscious and still tied to a tree. Police sources claim he was beaten with bamboo sticks, kicked and punched.
The three arrested have been booked for murder under section 103 (1) of BNS. Police are now investigating the involvement of more people in the case.
Meanwhile, the case has now courted controversy, with activists calling for the provision for mob lynching to be invoked in the case. The provision, Section 103 (2) of the BNS, defines mob-lynching as, “when a group of five or more persons acting in concert commits murder on the ground of race, caste or community, sex, place of birth, language, personal belief or any other similar ground each member of such group shall be punished with death or with imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine”.
“It does not matter what was the reason behind attacking him. Can they take law in their hands? It’s a case of mob lynching,” lawyer and social activist Degree Prasad Chouhan told The Indian Express.
But when contacted, a senior police officer said the case doesn’t “fulfil the criteria mentioned in section 103 (2) of BNS”.
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
