Dalit man suspected of stealing rice beaten to death in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: Police in Chhattisgarh arrested three people including a tribal man for beating a Dalit man to death on suspicion of stealing rice in Dumarpalli village of Raigarh district early Sunday, The Indian Express reported.

The main suspect in the case, Virendra Sidar, 50 stated to the police that when he awoke at around 2 am to some noise, he saw the victim Panchram Sarthi alias Butu trying to steal a sack of rice after sneaking into his home.

It is reported citing the statement that he alerted neighbours, Ajay Pradhan, 42, and Ashok Pradhan,44 and they tied Sarthi to a tree.

When the police arrived in the morning as the village sarpanch alerted them, they found Sarthi unconscious and was still tied to the tree.

He was beaten with bamboo sticks, kicked and punched, Police sources reportedly said.

The three people involved in it have been charged with murder under section 103 (1) of BNS.

Meanwhile, activists called for invoking provision for mob lynching in the case.

However, police reportedly stated that the case does not fall under the definition of the offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The Section 103 (2) of the BNS defines mob-lynching: “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”.

Lawyer and social activist Degree Prasad Chouhan reportedly termed the incident a case of mob lynching, asking ‘It does not matter what was the reason behind attacking him. Can they take law in their hands?’

Police are seeking details to know if more people involved in the case.