NCP supremo Sharad Pawar breaks silence on shocking Palghar lynching; defends Police & CM

Issuing his first response more than 48 hours after horrific lynching in Maharashtra's Palghar, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has said that it is condemnable and unfortunate. Backing Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, he said that the CM is doing all that he can. The NCP supremo also defended Police action saying that they acted 'quickly and arrested 100 people.'

He said: "Whatever happened in Palghar shouldn't have happened, it is unfortunate and condemnable. Police acted quickly and arrested over 100 people who were involved in the incident on the same night. Further investigation is underway. CM Uddhav Thackeray has spoken about the incident and doing whatever he can. But some people are raising question on law and order of the state even when the incident happened due to some rumours. This is not good. "

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Palghar mob lynching

The shocking incident took place on the night of April 16 in Palghar district of Maharashtra when two ascetics Mahant Kalpavruksha Giri and Sushilgiri Maharaj were travelling in a vehicle driven by Nilesh Yelgade to Gujarat for attending a funeral. The aforesaid three individuals were lynched by a mob who allegedly suspected them to be child kidnappers after they reached Gadchinchale village in Dahanu taluka.

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Reportedly, a group of 4 policemen reached the spot after the Kasa Police Station received phone calls. Their attempts to pacify the mob turned futile as the mob overturned the vehicle. Later, another police contingent arrived on the scene and managed to make the three individuals sit in two separate police cars. Thereafter, the crowd attacked the police vehicles, resulting in some police personnel sustaining injuries. 

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However, some videos have emerged which show police personnel standing mutely even as the mob was attacking the three persons. This has come in for a lot of criticism from leaders across the political spectrum. According to the Maharashtra Police, 110 accused persons including 9 juveniles have been arrested for the mob-lynching. The adults are in police custody while the latter has been sent to a children's home. Addressing the people of the state, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray revealed that two policemen had been suspended. Mentioning that DG CID Crime Atulchandra Kulkarni was investigating the matter, he stressed that the incident was not communal. Thackeray has spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding this horrific incident. 

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