Two Mahadalits lynched in Nawada

PATNA: Two Mahadalits, including a 55-year-old woman, were lynched in two separate incidents in Nawada district on Tuesday. The police have arrested three people in connection with the murders.
In the first incident, a woman Chinta Devi of Taraun village under Kauwakol police station was dragged out of her house and beaten to death by a mob, which accused her of practicing “black magic”.
The deceased’s husband Sukhdev Manjhi told the police that they ignored her repeated denial and beat her to death in full public view.
The mob got infuriated after an 11-year-old boy fell sick on Sunday evening and died on Tuesday. The boy’s family members assaulted Chinta with sticks and iron rods, leading to her death, the deceased’s husband told the police.
Nawada SP Hari Prasath S said two persons—Kailash Manjhi and Soni Manjhi—were arrested for involvement in the killing of the woman for practicing “black magic”.
In another incident, a 35-year-old man identified as Rajendra Manjhi was beaten to death by a group of people at nearby Lalpur Musaharitola on Sunday.
The attackers buried the body outside the village to hide the crime. Police exhumed the body on Tuesday and sent it to Nawada sadar hospital for autopsy.
Two accused Masafir Manjhi and Sanjay Manjhi were arrested in connection with the murder of Rajendra Manjhi. Station house officer of Kauwakol police station Manoj Kumar said the deceased had an illicit relationship with Kailash’s wife, which led to the incident.
The SP said in both cases, the deceased and the accused belonged to the Mahadalit community. As a result of which, relevant sections of SC/ST Act were not slapped on the accused, he told this newspaper over phone on Tuesday.
He added that people have been repeatedly asked not to take law into their own hands. “Public awareness campaign has been launched in rural areas with the help of people’s representatives,” the SP said.
Last week the DGP Gupteshwar Pandey had appealed to people not to indulge in such barbaric acts, which will invite stern legal action.