Bihar: Two Dalit youths, who had gone to see the fair at the Jhunkiya Baba Temple in Rajgir, were beaten to death by a mob mistaking them for thieves.
An SIT has been formed under the leadership of the Rajgir DSP to investigate the mob lynching incident, and security has been increased to maintain law and order.
Nalanda: Two Dalit youths, who had gone to enjoy the Malmas fair at the famous Jhunkiya Baba Temple in Rajgir district, were beaten to death by a mob mistaking them for thieves. The incident, which occurred on Sunday-Monday morning, left Pintu Paswan (24) and Shravan Paswan (18) victims of the mob’s brutality.
The two youths, who were severely beaten with sticks and rods on suspicion of theft, died from their serious injuries. Both were residents of Ganjpar village in the Deepnagar police station area. This incident is extremely painful and heartbreaking not only for the families but for the entire Dalit community.
All India Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Antaryami Sharan told local media that several incidents of theft had occurred at the temple in the past few days, causing widespread anger among devotees. Thousands of devotees had gathered at the temple premises on Sunday night due to the Malmas fair.
The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Monday when four young men entered the dining area with the intention of stealing. Seeing suspicious activity, people chased them. While fleeing, two of the young men fell and were caught by the mob. Initially, heated arguments ensued, but then they were accused of theft and severely beaten with sticks. The temple security team rescued the young men from the mob and handed them over to the Rajgir police.
The young men were first taken to Sadar Hospital and then referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for better treatment, where both died during treatment. Police are also investigating the background of the deceased.
Nalanda Superintendent of Police Bharat Soni said, “We are investigating every aspect of the case. This is a double murder. The postmortem has been completed, and the report is awaited. Several teams have been formed to arrest all the accused. Some suspects are being interrogated.”
Pintu Paswan’s mother, Saroj Devi, said that Pintu was a daily wage laborer and the sole breadwinner of the family after his father’s death. He was the eldest of five brothers and three sisters. Saroj Devi said, “I don’t know why my son went near the temple. He and his friend were brutally beaten and killed. We want the killers arrested immediately.”
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under the leadership of the Rajgir DSP, and a heavy police force has been deployed in the area. Security has been increased to maintain law and order.
Bahujan and Dalit organizations have condemned the incident on social media and demanded justice.
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News
