Jharkhand HC says police hiding something, transfers Rupesh Pandey mob lynching to CBI

Ranchi, Sept 7: "Mob lynching or mob violence is one of the worst forms of crime committed by a group of people in a locality without any botheration of its consequence," the Jharkhand High Court observed as it transferred the probe into the 2022 mob lynching case of a minor boy named Rupesh Pandey to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

 

 

It also stated that the state police had been hiding something about the case and therefore, it found it appropriate to transfer the probe to the CBI. Notably, on February 6, 2022, Pandey along with his uncle had gone to witness the immersion procession of Saraswati Puja. When he reached the place of Sarswati Puja, then a mob gathered near the puja place led by Md. Aslam Ansari aka Pappu Khan allegedly took the deceased among the mob and lynched him.

 

 

To date only five persons have been arrested by state plice and rest accused persons have not been arrested. "When the incidence took place on 06.02.2022 and the entire police administration as well as district administration swung into action why the case for arson has been made by another community, has not been registered on 06.02.2022 raising an eyebrow on the police and on the complaint by another community another F.I.R. was registered on 08.02.2022. Prima facie it appears that police is not investigating the matter independently and is being influenced on the behest of some persons," the court stated.

 

The Court also noted that if the constitutional courts come to a conclusion that a particular case is required to be handed over to the specialized agency, they have got the power to do so, however, such a power must be exercised under exceptional circumstances.