Stop attacks, Centre ‘advises’ Maharashtra after UP migrant killed

Earlier, came news of the lynching of Dharam Dev Rai, 25, in a local train in the early hours of Wednesday. Political parties from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh reacted with outrage, and demanded tough action against the state government.

Sources said the advisory lamented that attempts were being made to divide people on regional lines, adding that states across the country would have to face the repercussions of the unfortunate trend. It asked the state government to take immediate and effective steps to ensure the rule of law, the sources said.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh during the day and asked him to take steps to stop the attacks on migrants. Patil also reportedly briefed the Prime Minister on the situation in the state. The issue figured in the meeting of the Congress core group at which party chief Sonia Gandhi was present.

The railway police detained 17 people, including activists of Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in connection with the murder. “A case of murder and rioting has been registered against 12 unidentified people. We have detained 17 people for questioning of whom some are active MNS activists from Khopoli, Karjat and Kasara areas of Raigad,” Vasant Koregoankar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Railway), said. “We have also prepared sketches of those involved, based on descriptions given by victims.”

According to Ashok Kumar Sharma, Commissioner of Mumbai Railway Police, Dharam Dev Rai boarded the 1.57 am Khopoli-Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) local from Khopoli, some 125 km from Mumbai, along with three relatives, Shiv Kumar Rai, Satya Kaushal Rai and Dhirender Rai. They were on their way to their village in eastern UP, intended to catch the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Gorakhpur Kushinagar Express from Kurla station.

“At the same time, a group of 10-12 people boarded the same compartment. A clash began over seating, as the four had occupied window seats. The four were beaten up after they were identified as ‘bhaiyyas’ (north Indians),” Koregoankar said. “But the blow which Dharam Dev Rai received proved to be fatal.” Fearing that Rai might be dead, the entire group of assailants got off at Kelavli station.

One of the men traveling with Dharam Dev then contacted the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Control Room. At around 2.30 am, the RPF took him to the M K Dubey Hospital in Badlapur, where he was declared dead on arrival. An autopsy at Ulhasnagar Central Hospital showed Dharam Dev had died after his liver was ruptured.

“He had come to Mumbai two months ago to earn a living. He had found a job as a helper at the Candroz company in Khopoli and earned Rs 2,700,” said Dhirender Rai, who was traveling with the victim. In Khopoli, Rai was staying with relatives in a small room in a chawl.

Wednesday’s incident follows the killing of Patna youth Rahul Raj by the Mumbai Police on Monday after Rahul tried to hijack a BEST bus. Rahul had allegedly told commuters he wanted to kill Raj Thackeray, whose men have launched a campaign of violence against north Indians in Mumbai. Bihar politicians Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar and Ramvilas Paswan had strongly criticized the Mumbai Police’s action.

On Wednesday, U P Chief Minister Mayawati wrote to the central and Maharashtra governments seeking immediate action to stop the attacks against north Indians, even as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil tried to downplay the incident saying initial reports suggested Dharam Dev’s murder was not a “hate crime”.

In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hit out at MNS and the Shiv Sena, saying, “The wealth in Mumbai has not been created by Maharashtrians alone. Biharis have made huge contributions to its development and this can be seen in the skyline dotted with skyscrapers. They (the MNS and Sena) want the wealth but don’t want its creators to live in Mumbai.”