Jamshedpur: Six more people were arrested in connection with the May 18 twin lynching incidents, taking the total number arrests made in this regard to 26, police officials said today.
“We have arrested five persons since last night in regard with Nagadih lynching incident,” Senior Superintendent of Police (East Singhbhum), Anoop T Mathew, said.
Seraikela-Kharswan SP Rakesh Bansal confirmed the arrest of one person in regard with Shobhapur lynching incident in Rajnagar police station area.
Earlier, 20 persons had been arrested in connection with the two incidents and the violent protest in the steel city on Saturday.
The police officers said that continued raids were on to apprehend other culprits.
Both Mathew and Bansal, however, denied reports published in a section of the press that the lynchings had taken place in presence of large number of police personnel.
Mathew said only a couple of policemen were present at the spot in Nagadih but they were outnumbered by the mob.
Bansal said a team from Rajnagar police station rushed to the spot on receiving information that a man was being assaulted by villagers on suspicion of being child lifter in Shobhapur.
The police managed to rescue the man and took him to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries later, he said adding two more persons were beaten to death around five hours later.
Four persons were lynched in Rajnagar while three others were beaten to death in Nagadih after villagers suspected them of being child lifters on May 18.
—PTI