What happened on that fateful night?
Three people including two sadhus were travelling from Mumbai to Surat in a Maruti Eco car to attend the funeral of their guruji on Thursday. However, they were stopped at the Gujarat border and asked to return. But they didn’t go back and instead took a route through interiors of a village near Palghar. And once they reached the spot, a mob came on the road and started attacking the car on suspicion that they are thieves.
What happened next?
The mob which comprised of the villagers started pelting stones on the car and overturned it. A forest official had called up police who reached the spot with their vehicle. The police tried to shift the victims in the police car. Since the mob went out of control and started attacking the police car, they were overpowered by the irate crowd. The three men were brutally tortured with sticks, rods and stones leaving them dead. Although police managed to bring them to the hospital they were declared dead. The deceased were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35), and their car driver Nilesh Telgade (30).
What action has been taken?
Palgarh Police have arrested 110 people including 9 juveniles, in connection with the lynching of three persons by the villagers, suspecting them as thieves on Sunday. While 101 people have been remanded in police custody till April 30, 9 others have been sent to a juvenile home. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said stern action will be taken against those involved in the lynching.